My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic OTR
by TKoH
Summary: Off the Record: What if the Mane six had been the Mane seven? How would the story change from what it had been? How would the series have played out? So, when Alex is pulled into Equestria before the battle with Night Mare Moon, everything changes.
1. Prologue

**This story is going to be a retelling of the key parts of the series, however, some things may be slightly changed to accommodate the story. Please don't blast me for getting things wrong, or out of place. You can safely assume they're wrong for a reason.  
**

**This first chapter is quite long, but I feel that it helps start the story better that way.**

**Please, no flamers, if you flame me, i will flame you... with a flamethrower.  
**

**And, I don't own anything. Everything belongs to Hasbro. The story, the characters, the everything.  
**

**I hope you enjoy.  
**

**S-M**

**My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic:**

**Off The Record**

It was a quiet night in early October, the sky was clearer than it had been in days. The only noise besides the distant sounds of city life was the wind blowing through the grass, and a wind chime that could be heard some distance away. The sun had only set a few minutes ago, but to Alex, it had felt like a lifetime ago.

Normally, Alex would enjoy every second of the fresh night air, and use the opportunity to relax away from whatever loud sports his father had on the television, however, being able to hear his father doing anything would make all of his pain go away. He sat with his back against the front door of his house, fighting back tears. He hadn't cried in years, but at this point, he really didn't care how hard it came out.

Alex was your typical only child. An average high school student, with brown hair, and blue eyes, smart, athletic, and getting ready to graduate in a few short months, he had never been the most popular guy or the least popular one either, which was the way he had always preferred it. Being a rather attractive guy, he never particularly had any issue getting girlfriends, his most recent; Dallas had only broken up with him a few hours before, leaving him for a more "exciting" guy. That, however, was the last thing on his mind at this moment.

Alex kept replaying the events of the past day in his head, none of it seemed real. One thing led to the next, which led to next, which led too… the knock on his door.

* * *

_Alex walked through his school parking lot absolutely livid; he had just been told by his girlfriend of 6 months that he was boring, and not worth her time. He had honestly thought that everything between him and her was going well. And out of nowhere she had hit him with this; the argument that followed was nothing more than him asking what her real problem was, and her dismissing every argument he had._

_After 10 minutes of argument, he simply walked away. Deciding that whatever had changed, there was no fixing it. And now, he was just reaching his dads car. Tossing his backpack in the passenger seat, he pulled out of the parking lot and started driving straight away from the school, not caring where he ended up._

_Eventually he ended up driving past a diner he and his father had visited every now and then for the past couple years, deciding that he could use something to drink, he decided to stop. _

"_Hey kiddo, your dad with you?" His usual waitress, Rosie, said with a grin._

"_Just me today, Rosie" Alex replied with a meek smile._

"_Alright" she smiled, "the usual spot?" _

"_Yeah, thanks." Alex kept his eyes glued to the floor as he walked over to his usual chair at the counter, mulling over what had just happened._

_Rosie saw that something was wrong with him as soon as he walked in, but decided not press for any kind of answers. "What can I getcha' Alex?"_

"_Oh" he said being shaken out of his thoughts, just a coke please._

"_Sure thing" she said with a smile, walking off toward the kitchen._

_Rosie quickly dropped off the drink and walked off toward another set of people that had just entered the restaurant._

_The anger in him had subsided by this point. Now he was just confused. He couldn't wrap his head around her reasoning. What hadn't she been telling him? _

"_I'll have a soda water with a couple of lime wedges please"_

_Alex was immediately pulled from his thoughts as he heard the unusual drink order, he looked over his shoulder and everything became clear. Across the diner, sat Dallas, and Chris; the running back of his high school football team, the one guy any girl would kill for the chance for, the one guy who had just broken up with his girlfriend._

_Alex could feel every ounce of anger return to him, 'that's why?'He couldn't believe that he got dumped just so she could have this guy. ' How could she be so stupid as to have missed my car?' he asked himself, however, he quickly realized that she probably hadn't seen his father's car enough times to associate it with him. Either way, he needed to leave now, before he did something stupid, and got his ass kicked by a football jock._

_Leaving a five dollar bill on the table, he walked out without being seen by anyone, except a concerned looking Rosie. _

_Getting back in his car, he decided to go home; he knew his his parents would start to wonder where he was._

_After driving well above the speed limit for 15 minutes, he finally arrived the ranch. Pulling through the main gate, he was surprised to see his parents weren't home from the grocery store in the city yet. His father had asked to borrow his truck so they could bring home a larger load of groceries than they normally could. Alex quickly shrugged it off and went inside to lie down. _

_Throwing his bag next to the front door, Alex walked through the kitchen and threw himself onto the couch in the den. After all that had happened, he just wanted to close his eyes for a few moments, and forget everything. _

_And within a few minutes, he was fast asleep._

_*Ding Dong*_

_Alex was awoken by the doorbell ringing, he gazed over at the clock, it read 7:30, he figured his parents would have woken him up when they got home. 'Are they not home yet?' He muttered to himself still a little groggy._

_*Ding Dong*_

_His attention went back to the door, and quickly composed himself as he walked over to it, and opened it. He was surprised to be greeted by a police officer, "Can I help you?" Alex asked, unsure of what else he could say._

"_Are you Alex Mackenzie?" The officer asked in a slightly uneasy tone._

"_Yeah…" Alex replied, still unsure of his purpose at the house_

"_I'm afraid there's been an accident… "He started slowly "your parents were involved…"_

* * *

Alex grimaced at the thought of it all. He couldn't even keep his eyes open, everything reminded him of something. His stomach churned. He needed to get away. He stood up and started walking toward a rather think patch of trees that sat on the outside of his property.

His uncle had been by shortly after the police left, he had asked him to spend the night at his house, but Alex refused. He was, however, happy that he offered to look after the animals on the ranch. Alex knew they would be neglected in one way or another if the responsibility was all his. He looked up and found himself a good ways into the woods.

His mother had used to take him through a small part of these woods; they would always follow the same path looping them around to where they started, but he purposely strayed away from the usual path, and went deeper into the woods, looking to avoid anything familiar.

As he walked through the maze of trees and rocks, he kept his gaze glued to the ground. Everything stuck on permanent repeat in his head. He wanted nothing more than to have everything stop. Have everything go away.

Alex had lost all track of time, he just kept walking. Eventually, the ground started to clear up. He started seeing less and less on the ground until all that was left was grass.

His gaze was pulled up when he noticed some kind of light illuminating the ground around him. He was puzzled to see a shimmering light, about the size of a bedroom door, directly in front of him. He tried to look into it directly, but found it almost impossible to look for more than a second.

His mind wasn't able to process what was making the light appear. There was nothing in the immediate area, and nothing could possibly be casting it from a distance. So, he inched closer and closer toward the light, intent on finding the source. He used one hand to shield the light from his eyes, and with the other he slowly moved to the light, expecting a kind of heat to be radiated from it; he was very surprised when he felt none.

He did a quick circle around the light to make sure there was no source. When he finished, he walked back to where he started, and considered his options. He could leave it alone. Or…

He went for broke, and pushed his arm straight into the light. And still nothing. He tried to withdraw his hand from the light, but found it wouldn't let it out. His arm was completely stuck inside the mysterious light, and he couldn't move it whatsoever. Then, the light started expanding, slowly consuming more of body as it did.

Alex went wide eyed and started yanking and jerking his arm as much as he could, however, to no avail. The light continued to grow, and slowly ate more and more of his body, until all that was left was his head, which he had tried to keep as far away as possible. But, eventually, Alex lost the battle with the light, as it completely consumed him.

The only thing he could see was white, even when he closed his eyes he was still plagued by the solid color. He instinctively tried to cover his eyes with his hands, but was unable to move them. He pulled against the invisible force holding him in place, and was surprised when the force suddenly disappeared. However, his hands immediately went for his face with more force than he intended, and he ended up striking his face with something that felt nothing like hands. He tried to inspect himself, but found the light to be too intense to see anything.

The bright world slowly started fading, however, Alex couldn't tell if it was the world dimming, or it was simply him passing out from the strike to his head. Whether or not the color was fading, Alex passed out, embracing the darkness that came with it.

* * *

Alex felt his world slowly coming back to him. He was lying on something soft… Grass. It smelled great, and felt great. He smiled and pressed his face into it after a few moments of this, he stopped. Why was he sleeping on grass? He slowly opened his eyes to investigate what was going on around him. What he saw almost made him pass out again.

Nothing looked right. Even though it was still night, everything that surrounded him was brightly colored, and… what word could he use to describe this place?

Animated.

The one word that seemed to describe this place perfectly was _animated_.

Alex had always had rather vivid dreams, but this was something entirely different, everything felt so… real.

Quickly looking around the area, he immediately came to the conclusion that he was in the same area that he had stumbled upon with the bright light…

Then, like a tidal wave, Alex remembered everything. His parents, the walk through the woods, the shimmering light, everything that had just happened…

"Well, either I'm dreaming, or I've completely lost it" Alex muttered to himself. "Probably dreaming" he continued… "Please be dreaming."

Alex looked around for another moment, and then decided to investigate this dream in more detail. He tried to stand up, but his hands didn't support them the way he expected them to, and he immediately tumbled to the ground.

"What the…?" Looked at his hands, and was genuinely horrified at what he saw.

"Hooves?" Alex said out loud. His mind started racing, this wasn't right. He did NOT have hooves. 'This is a dream, this is a dream. This. Is. A. DREAM!' He was starting to get frantic, if this was a dream, why wasn't he waking up? He put one hoof to the other and tried to pinch himself. He quickly remembered that he had no fingers to pinch with.

His first instinct was to stand up, however, this didn't end well, as he found himself unable to balance properly. He immediately fell back to the ground face-first.

As he tried to compose himself, he attempted to lift his head out of the dirt, but found something was keeping him stuck in the ground. Putting his hooves on the ground, he managed a few yanks, and pulled his head free. He put a hoof to his head, feeling for what could have caused it, and quickly discovered the source. A Horn.

At this point, Alex just wanted to wake up. Everything felt too real. It was like no dream he had ever had. The feelings, the smells, the ache in his head from falling over; every little bit was pushing him further and further away from "dreaming" and closer to "insanity."

The next thought that came to him wasn't the smartest thought he had ever had, but he leaned over and bit himself anyway. He squeezed his eyes closed, and knew once he opened them, he'd be back at home, in his room, in his big comfy bed. He slowly opened one eye, and was sad to see, he was still here, in the forest, that looked like it was right out of a cartoon.

Alex sighed, glancing around he took a moment to appreciate the hell he was currently in. He hadn't noticed before, but the whole place was actually pretty beautiful. The full moon was illuminating the entire area he was in, allowing him to see all the different shades of the grass he was standing in. The sky was a beautiful shade of purple, with a few wispy clouds covering some of the brightly shimmering stars. He sighed, and as his head sunk to the ground; he was quickly reminded of his new appendage as

it stopped him from touching the grass with his forehead. Alex looked back and forth and spotted a small pond a couple yards away.

Quickly making up his mind, Alex decided to get a good look at what exactly he was. Knowing that he needed to keep himself busy, so he wouldn't go insane over thinking what was happening to him.

Remembering that he had hooves, he slowly tried to stand himself up on four legs, when he managed to get himself to that point, he started walking forward one step at a time. He was surprised to find that he was having almost no trouble walking this way. He was making his way over to the pond much faster than he anticipated.

Alex looked into the water and was greeted by the something that surprised him much less than it should have. He was a horse. No… he was a unicorn. The obvious horn on his head confirmed that. He tapped his hoof against the horn, he was DEFINITELY a unicorn. Besides the fact that he was a unicorn, in a cartoon world, and starting to accept it, nothing was out of the ordinary. White coat, black mane, however, one odd thing he did notice, was a large grey spot on his coat, it extended from just below the right hand side of his neck to lower on his body. He repositioned himself to he could see the rest of his body in the reflection, upon doing this, he found that the spot expanded until it reached his wing, which was completely grey itself…. _Wait._

'_Wing?'_

Alex did a double take.

He had wings too. He figured he would have been used to this by now. But, this was just as much a surprise as the horn. He saw that his wings were covered in feathers, which kinda made sense... So, what did this make him? A pega-corn? A uni-sus? Again, he decided not to overthink anything, and pushed the thought from his mind. Keeping his eyes glued to his grey wing, he wanted to figure out how to move them. He relaxed, and decided to trust his body to know how to move them, the same way it knew how to walk. He closed his eyes, and did the first thing that came to his mind.

Alex felt his back relax in some places, and tighten in others, he opened his eyes slowly, and was happy to see his wings slowly extending. Slow at first, but he quickly got used to the motion of opening and closing them. Upon more experimentation he found he could flap them, flare them, and even manipulate them in ways he knew birds couldn't.

Alex started working on the flapping motion. But, no matter how hard he flapped, or how fast he flapped, he wasn't going anywhere. He sighed, and contemplating everything that had happened.

'_How can this be real?'_ Alex thought.

After a moment, he lifted a hoof to his mouth, and bit himself again for good measure. But, as he figured, this left him right where he started, plus a dull ache. He figured he had two choices; he could sit around in the field until he woke up, or… The more adventurous choice, indulge himself in his obvious insanity.

Alex then remembered something his father had said to him once.

"_If you're losing your mind and end up in crazy land, you might as well have fun there!" _

Alex smiled at the memory. His Father had said this to him a few months ago when his grandmother was moved to a care facility due to her excessive delusions.

"I guess that settles it" Alex said to himself "Since this is as crazy as anything can get, I might as well try to have a little fun." He chuckled to himself and started scanning the horizon; he was surprised to see a city protruding off the side of a mountain some distance away. Normally he would have questioned the possibility of such a thing, but decided it was a waste of time.

Alex quickly spotted a path that pointed him straight to the mountain. As he started walking, he wondered if walking into the dark forest filled with how-knows-what, was really a smart idea, but really, what was the worst that could happen?

* * *

Alex had been walking through the woods for what seemed like days, but in reality had probably only been a few hours. The path he had been following had taken too many twists and turns for him to be completely sure he was going toward that city, but even if he was in here for days, he knew he wouldn't be in too much trouble. His father had used to take him out into the thicket and the two would live off of different kinds of plants and animals. He had always hated going on those trips as a kid, leaving behind all the comforts of home to go eat gross food, and sleep on a hard, cold ground. But now, Alex couldn't be happier his father had forced him out on those trips. Although things were different in this world, a lot of things were still the same. He had managed to scavenge a few things to eat, and drink plenty of water

One thing that had surprised him was the complete lack of animal life. Not that he was looking for something to hunt; his father had always been the one to do that. And Alex could never bring himself to eat it anyway. The thing that had him confused was that not only had he seen nothing alive, but he hadn't heard a single noise. Besides him, the forest was absolutely dead silent. There was something unnatural about it. He knew this world was completely foreign to him, but couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong.

Alex was also surprised to find that the sun hadn't risen yet. He knew he had been out walking for hours, and that on top of that, it was pitch black out when he woke up in this place. He looked up, examining the sky, not being able to see any kind of change in the shade of purple he had seen hours ago. Was that another thing about this world? Was night longer than day here? Was there a day at all? Maybe…

Alex was cut off from his thoughts when he heard screaming and a roar pierce the absolute silence of the forest. The screaming had been far off, but not so far that he couldn't go investigate.

Taking a deep breath, he started walking toward the direction he had heard the screaming. He slowly picked up his pace, making sure to avoid tripping and hurting himself. Once he found a rather clear path, he started to move faster and faster until he reached a speed he was happy with. He was amazed to see how little effect on his body his running was having. He was moving faster than he ever had before, and it was barely fazing him.

After 15 minutes of straight running, he needed a break. He hadn't heard another noise since the initial screaming. He wondered whether or not he had gotten to the right place yet. For all he knew, he could be way past, or not even close. He closed his eyes and concentrated, but nothing. As he opened his eyes, he noticed that the forest was suddenly much darker than it had been before. He could barely even see his hoof in front of his face.

Where had this darkness come from? Or… rather, where had all the light gone? After a few seconds of squinting, and tripping over almost everything he possibly could, he sat down on him rump, giving up on navigating the pitch black. However, he wasn't feeling defeated for long. Another shriek sounded out, this time; he could clearly hear that there were a group of people. Girls.

Snapping his head toward the direction of the scream, Alex saw a dim pink light illuminating a section of the forest just ahead of him. He was lucky he was so close, he never would have seen it if he had been any further away.

Normally he would have made it there in no time, but the darkness surrounding him made it extremely difficult.

As he closed the distance to the illuminated area, he started to hear something that sounded quite a lot like… singing. '_Singing?' _Oh yes. He could definitely hear singing. His pace started to pick up as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. As he started to get closer and closer, he noticed that the singing had stopped, and was replaced by laughter.

Pushing all the questions this arose out of his head, he kept moving. After 5 or so minutes he finally arrived at the clearing where the girls had just been. Seeing no one around, he realized that all the light had been restored to the area. It had been such a gradual thing, he didn't even notice it. Realizing that he didn't know where the girls had headed off to, he started examining the ground. Quickly picking up on the directions of the hoof marks, he knew what direction they were headed.

"Hooves_…" _Alex said out loud. "That means that they're horses too. Like me."

Knowing that this wasn't the time to stop and think, he pressed on. Galloping along the path, he squinted trying to see if anyone was in front of him. After failing at this, he looked at the ground and saw that the hoof prints were farther apart than they had been before. They must have been running too.

However, after another 10 minutes of galloping, he had to slow down and take a break. These other horses must have been much more used to running compared to him. But, this didn't surprise him; as, well… this WAS his first time being a horse. After a two minute breather, he started moving again.

* * *

Finally, Alex came upon a river. On close examination he saw that he couldn't cross it by any normal means. He glanced back and forth at his wings, wishing he knew how to use them. He sighed. He didn't know how he'd be able to follow them now. He sat down on his rump, closed his eyes, and sighed.

"Why hello there!" A slightly flamboyant voice said suddenly.

Alex just about jumped out of his skin. Opening his eyes he was greeted with the sight of a giant serpent towering over him. "I… I…" Alex stammered, almost paralyzed with fear. Not able to form any coherent words, he simply stood there shaking.

"What's wrong with you?" The serpent said, sounding concerned enough to put Alex at ease a bit.

'_Remember Alex… This is a different world… This… Might be a normal thing! …At least you're talking to someone…' _Alex said to himself. Composing himself as much as he could, he managed to say "Did you… see a group of girls head across this river…?"

The Serpents face lit up "Why yes!" He said beaming. "The lovely fillies that just came through here and helped me with my crisis!" The dragon said adding as much emphasis on the word 'crisis' as he possibly could. "And now!" he began, "my amazing moostache, is even more fabulous than before! All thanks to those fabulous ponies!"

Being slightly confused, Alex looked up to see that the serpent's moustache, or… Moostache was made up of two different colors. Orange, like the rest of his hair, and purple, which he assumed was the color that belonged to one of the ponies.

"So… if I'm like them… I'm a pony…" Alex muttered, "How manly" he chuckled, figuring it made sense, considering his size. Quickly snapping back to the creature in front of him, "By any chance, could you help me across the river to follow those… Ponies?" Alex asked getting used to the new term.

"Can't you just fly across with those wings of yours?" The serpent asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh! Well, you see…" Alex considered his options carefully here. Did he want to tell him that he was from another world, and that he didn't know how to fly yet? No. No point in sounding like a complete lunatic. "I… Uhh… hurt my wing! And… can't seem to get myself airborne!" He said laughed nervously.

"Well that is just terrible! I'd be more than happy to give you a lift after what your friends did for me!" He said smiling. "Here! Hop on!" The snake said lifting the back half of his body onto the shore, next to Alex.

Alex gulped. He REALLY hoped he wasn't about to get eaten. Slowly stepping over the serpents tail, he walked a few more steps until he was on a more solid part of his back.

"Here we go!" The friendly snake said, quickly moving his body over to the other side of the river.

After an agonizing 15 seconds of Alex trying to keep his balance on the creatures back, he reached the shore on the other side of the river. Hopping off, Alex turned back to his new friend smiling, "thanks for the lift!"

"It was no problem at all!" He said beaming. "I'm always happy to help out new friends! But, as much as I'd love to continue this conversation, you don't want to lose those lovely fillies you're after, now do you?"

"Oh!" Alex remembered suddenly, "Right!" He started following the hoof prints in the ground again. "Thanks!" He called back again, before moving into a full gallop, trying to make up for lost time.

"Come back any time!" The serpent shouted, watching Alex gallop into the night.

* * *

Alex had been running for only a couple of minutes where he came to a bridge, crossing over a large expanse. On the other side, was some kind of temple. Completely made out of stone, and completely overgrown.

Deciding not to waste any time, he took his first step on to the rickety bridge. The entire thing groaned as he slowly stepped from one plank to the next. Once he was half way across, it started to dawn on him just how terrified he was to be on it. The boards on the bridge were old and giving way under his weight. Considering how old the temple looked, he wasn't surprised this was happening.

Alex realized that he needed to cross this bridge before it collapsed. Quickly moving from one bored to the next, he closed the distance to the end of the bridge, he was only a few planks away from the end, when he stepped on a bored and it suddenly gave away under his weight, he barely managed to take a step back without falling. How would he get across now?

Looking forward, he knew he'd have to jump to solid ground. Even if he had been able to jump to another plank past the one that had fallen, he knew it would collapse under the weight of his landing on it.

Gaging his distances, he took a few steps back. He hadn't tried jumping as a pony yet, but knew they were very capable in his world. Besides, the worst thing that could happen is that he would fall, and wake up from this dream. He gulped, not being completely satisfied with his reasoning, but started running anyway.

As Alex quickly got to the gap, he bent his hind legs, and pushed them off the bored, launching himself toward the other side of the cliff. He sailed through the air, but quickly realized he was going to be just short of his destination. He was only a few feet away from crashing into the bridge, and falling into the chasm, when his new instincts kicked in, and his wings extended and gave a few powerful flaps. In no way had he achieved any kind of flight, but his wings HAD given him just enough lift to get him past the end of the bridge.

Being so surprised with this, Alex hadn't prepared for the landing, and promptly tumbled onto the ground, resulting in his horn getting stuck in the ground. Again.

He yanked his horn out of the dirt with little trouble, and looked up at the stone temple in front of him. He could clearly see a small group of ponies standing in front of the main structure. He had found them! Getting a good look at the group, he noticed that two of the ponies had only wings, another had only a horn, and the other two had neither. He was different from them. Deciding this might be another normal thing in this world, he started approaching them.

As he started walking toward them, he carefully considered what to say. However, before he could find the time to say anything to the group, a dark purple light lit up the main structure, disappearing as fast as it had come.

"Twilight?" shouted all of the girls in unison, before all of them ran into the building.

"She's gone!" he heard another one of them say.

Alex started walking toward to the temple when his focus was pulled to a building to the left of the main structure. He saw the same purple light pierce through the darkness, shining out all of the windows of the temple. If that light had made someone disappear, he figured it was a safe bet to go check this out. If anyone was in danger, he had to make sure this 'Twilight' was safe before he worried about himself.

Running up the main stairs into the temple, he came to the main chamber of the building, where he saw a much larger horse, with some kind of flowing black mane, and a set of armor, standing on a pedestal on the opposite end of the room. Closer to him, was a purple pony, with a horn, who was confronting the larger horse.

Alex ducked behind a pillar so he wouldn't be seen right away. He watched as the small purple pony, who Alex assumed was 'Twilight' took a rather aggressive stance, looking like she was going to charge the much larger horse in front of her.

"You're kidding." The larger mare laughed. "You're kidding, right?" She said seriously, upon realizing it wasn't a joke.

Alex quickly moved himself behind another pillar more toward the middle of the room, before looking back to the confrontation. Twilight started charging the black mare full speed, with some kind of spark on the end of her horn. The Black mare laughed, and started charging toward her.

'_What is she thinking!' _Alex said to himself. '_There's no way she'll ever win this!'_ But, to Alex's and the black mare's surprise, Twilight vanished in a bright light, and reappeared on the pedestal the black mare had just been on.

"Just one spark, come on, come on!" Twilight said concentrating.

Skidding to a halt, the larger horse turned and saw Twilight pointing her horn at the six stones on the ground. "No!" She shouted as she started running at the pony.

Alex could clearly see that Twilight was in no position to avoid any kind of oncoming attack, and that the horn on the charging horse could probably do some real damage if it hit her. So, he decided that there was only one thing to do.

He gulped, and started on an intercept course, to protect Twilight.

He had to laugh at himself; here he was, running at the scariest horse he had ever seen, all to protect somepony he didn't even know. For all he knew he was attacking the GOOD guy. However, he seriously doubted this, and braced himself for the impact, making sure to tilt his head far enough down that he didn't impale her.

'_Wait? Did I just say somepony instead of someone?' _Was the last thing he thought, before colliding with dark horse. The hit HURT. It felt like he had run head first into a rock.

Staggering back, Alex was happy to see his pain was worth it, as he had knocked the mare off balance, causing her to wipe out on the stone ground.

"You foal! You dare attack Night Mare Moon! She shouted, at Alex. Righting herself, she seemed to have forgotten Twilight, and started approaching him, growling. Alex, stood his ground, hoping to give Twilight as much time as he possibly could to do, whatever it was she was doing. However, Night Mares focus was pulled away when the six stones started sparking back and forth, sending Twilight flying away from them. "No!" she shouted rushing onto the platform.

Alex ran over to the collapsed Twilight, "Are you okay?"

Twilight looked at him with a confused face, before a light bulb turned on in her head, and she lit up. "You're the one! The one we were missing this whole time! But… Who are you?" She said smiling.

Alex wasn't sure how to respond to this, "I'm Alex, but… I don't understand… how am I 'the one'?"

Twilight shook her head knowing she didn't have time to explain, "The elements! Look!" Twilight looked over at the sparking stones excitedly. However, the stones suddenly stopped. Twilight looked on in horror.

Then it dawned on her, that had only been six elements. "But… Where's the seventh element?" She said confused.

The mare laughed manically, raising her front hooves, and stomped them down, shattering all of the stones on the pedestal. "You little foal! Thinking you could defeat me? Now you will never see your princess, or your sun! The night will last forever!"

Twilight watched, horrified, as the shards of the stones landed on the ground around Night Mare Moon. What could she going do now? There was no hope left.

Alex saw that Twilight was feeling defeated. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but he could tell it wasn't good, so, taking a defensive stance over the collapsed pony, all he could do was try his best to keep her out of danger.

"Don't worry Twilight!" a voice called from the entrance way.

"We're here!" another voice called

Twilight looked back, she could hear all of them calling out to her, worrying about her… and that made her… happy. Then, all at once, it made sense.

"You think you can destroy the elements of harmony just like that?" Twilight said suddenly very confident in herself. "We'll you're wrong!" She said standing next to Alex, "Because the spirits of The Elements of Harmony are right _here_!"

The other five ponies lined up next to Twilight and Alex, all of them giving one look or another toward Alex in confusion.

The shards of the Elements of Harmony started two float off the ground, "What?" Night Mare Moon said, suddenly in a panic.

Twilight smiled, more than happy to explain their victory to her enemy.

"Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of... honesty!" Twilight said as several shards of the stone flew over to her, and started circling her.

"Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of... kindness!" A startled Fluttershy got her own collection of shards circling around her, like Applejack.

"Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of... laughter!" Jumping up and down, the pink pony was thrilled to see shards start looping around her as well.

"Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift represents the spirit of... generosity!" The white and purple pony looked down modestly as the shards started moving around her.

"Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire represents the spirit of... loyalty!" The cyan pony stuck her chest out proudly, as the shards started circling her, the same as all her friends.

"And Alex, who threw himself in harm's way to protect me when I needed it most, represents the spirit of… selflessness!" Alex was surprised to hear himself included in this list of names, realizing that this is what she meant when she said he was 'the one.'

"The spirits of these six ponies got us through everything you threw at as!" Twilight finished triumphantly.

"You still don't have the seventh element! The spark didn't work!" Night Mare countered, her voice having lost all of its power.

"But it did!" Twilight began again." A different kind of spark! I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you!" She said as her eyes welled with tears. "The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all… are my friends!" she said to the group of five ponies behind her. Turning to Alex she smiled "and even though I've just met all of you, you're all _still_ important to me." She said holding back more tears.

Alex smiled back at her earnestly as she turned her head to face Night Mare Moon.

"You see, Night Mare Moon," Twilight started, as a seventh stone, much like the other six before they were shattered, appeared and started floating down toward her. "When those Elements are ignited by the… uh… spark! That resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of… magic!"

All at once, the shards circling all of the girls started coming together on each of them to form a necklace, with a different shaped gem in the center of each one. Alex watched as the other ponies necklaces appeared around their necks.

The Yellow pony with the pink mane had a necklace with a pink butterfly jewel in it.

The Pink pony got a blue balloon shaped jewel in her necklace.

The Rainbow pony got a red lightning bolt in the center of hers.

The Orange pony with the blonde mane got an orange apple jewel in the center of hers.

And the white pony with the purple colored hair got a purple gem cut much like any precious stone.

Alex looked down, and saw that the gem in his was simply a large round diamond, sparkling brilliantly.

And finally, the stone floating above Twilight transformed itself into a crown, with a purple star on the top of it. Closing her eyes, Twilight, and the six other ponies were lifted off the ground, and engulfed in a bright white light.

As the necklaces built up their power, Alex could feel it sapping his energy, draining the last bit he had. He watched as a brilliant rainbow shoot out from him and the other six ponies, and surrounded Night

Mare Moon. Then, opening her eyes, Twilight focused all of the magic surrounding the seven ponies into one powerful blast, engulfing the entire room in a bright light.

The next thing Alex knew, he was on the cold stone floor, losing consciousness. But, even as that was happening, he couldn't help but laugh at how insane everything was that had happened. As the world started fading, he wondered if he'd be here when he woke up, or not.

* * *

"How is he?" A voice asked.

Alex stirred momentarily, returning to consciousness, listening to the conversation.

"He'll be fine" a soothing voice said. "He was just exhausted from the fight with Luna."

"Thank goodness!" The first voice, who he identified as Twilight, said sounding extremely relieved.

"But… as for his missing mark, that is somewhat of a mystery to even me." The second voice said, with a touch of confusion in her voice. "Only he can explain this to us."

"And what about the wings and the horn?" Twilight said, with the confused tone returning to her voice.

"While those normally belong only to royalty, it isn't impossible for somepony to be born with both" The second explained. "However," She began after a pause, "I'm going to head back to the party. Royal duty calls!" She said with a soft laugh.

"Well, I'll stay here until he wakes up. I didn't get a chance to thank him." Twilight said.

"Very well, my student. Please bring him to me when he wakes, I'd like to have a word with him myself." She said before leaving the room.

As Alex listened to the footsteps move further away, he slowly dozed back into oblivion.

Some time Later, Alex finally started to wake.

Slowly opening his eyes, he noticed he was still in the other world… The colorful, vibrant, beautiful world, which he was happy to still be in, surprisingly. After all that happened, he didn't want to go home without figuring out what had happened after that the battle with Night Mare Moon.

Slowly lifting his upper body off the bed he was on, Alex was surprised to see that he could sit straight up, as if he were a human, something he was sure regular horses couldn't do. Looking around, he saw that he was in some kind of room made entirely out of wood. Almost as if he was inside a giant tree, which really wouldn't have surprised him. Scanning the bookshelves and walls, he saw a clock hanging off the wall next to the window. It read '3:45,' and, judging by the bright light shining through the window, he figured it was 3:45 PM.

Alex was happy to see sunlight, finally. It had felt like eons since he had last seen it, he had almost forgotten how beautiful it could be. He smiled, and slowly started examining the room he was in in greater detail.

Alex's examination was cut short as he started hearing muttering coming from just below him. He gazed over the edge of the bed, and saw Twilight on the floor, fast asleep. Briefly remembering the conversation from before, he remembered her saying something about staying in the room until he awoke.

He took this opportunity to properly examine her. She was a purple pony, with a dark purple mane. However, in her mane she also had two different streaks of purple, one that he saw was an indigo shade, and one that was almost pink, but more magenta. All and all, she was a purple pony.

Her tail had the same colors as her mane, which he had expected, however, next to her tail; he saw some kind of mark on her side. She had a purple star, similar to the color of the second streak in her hair. And around the star were several smaller white stars.

Thinking back to the fight with Night Mare Moon, he had noticed that she had a moon in the same place Twilight had her star. Was this something all of the ponies had in common? A mark on their sides? Alex twisted his body and checked his flank, and saw that there was none. He looked back at Twilight and studied her mark closer.

After a few minutes of this, his mind started to wander to the night before. He thought back to the fight, back to crossing that bridge, back to the snake, back to waking up in this place, and eventually, back to his parents. He felt his chest tighten up at the thought. Shaking it from his mind, he decided the time to mourn was later. As horrible as he felt to say that, he knew his parents wouldn't want him to sit around and wallow in sadness rather than figuring out what was going on.

"Uh… Alex?"

Alex nearly jumped out of his skin, Twilight was awake, looking at him, and… blushing?

"Were you just… staring at my rump?" Twilight said a little flustered.

"What? No! Nononononono!" Alex stammered, "No! … okay, well, I mean, I was, but! I was looking at… 'That'" Alex said pointing a hoof at her back side.

"Oh! You mean my cutie mark?" Twilight said laughing at the misunderstanding, "do you not know what that is?" She asked cocking an eyebrow.

"I have absolutely no idea." Alex said flatly.

Twilight was surprised to hear this, everypony knew what a cutie mark was, but he didn't. "You're not from around here, are you?" Twilight said.

Alex laughed, "You could say that, there are a LOT of things I need you to help me figure out."

"Well, I'll try to make sure all of your questions get answered" Twilight said smiling. "But first, I just wanted to say that we wouldn't have won the battle, and… I could have been really hurt if you hadn't shown up when you did." Twilight said earnestly. "So… thank you, Alex"

"Oh, I was just doing what anypony would have done" Alex said furrowing his brow at his use of the word 'anypony.'

"You don't understand, not just anypony would do that." Twilight explained, "The pony would have to be either extremely stupid, or extremely brave to throw themselves in front of somepony as powerful as her."

Alex opened his mouth to explain that he was indeed stupid, but decided to simply move on. "So… What happened after that necklace knocked me out? All I remember was floating up into the air, and attacking her with some kind of… beam."

"Well… Those necklaces, or… The elements of harmony, unleashed the power that we all have inside of ourselves." Twilight began. "It took power from all of us, and using that, I was able to channel it all into one blast, which I focused right at Night Mare Moon."

"What did it do to her?" Alex asked, intrigued.

"Well… it changed her back." Twilight said, unsure of how to word her explanation. "Her evil side was purged, and all that was left, was a filly. And, as it turns out, that filly was the sister of Princess Celestia. " Twilight paused expecting a shocked reaction, but was given none. "Do you know who that is…?" Twilight asked.

Alex simply shook his head and laughed. "No, although, I remember overhearing her ask to speak with me when I woke up. That was her, right?"

"Oh! Yes! I almost forgot!" Twilight said suddenly remembering. "I'll take you to her right now! She's just outside enjoying the party. Come on!" Twilight said heading toward the door.

Alex started trying to get out of the bed, but had to stop and think about it. Getting out of bed as a pony was very different from getting out of bed as a human. Slowly rocking himself back and forth, he was able to roll himself on top of his legs. Then, he pushed off his hooves into standing position. However, he was still covered in the blanket, which posed as an entirely new obstacle. He shook his body and tried to get the blanket off of him, but failed. Thinking carefully, he came up with an idea he considered genius.

Leaning his head forward, he flared his wings straight up, sending the blanket straight up into the air. "Ha!" Alex said triumphantly, proud of his ingenious thinking. He looked over, and saw Twilight giggling at the door, he opened his mouth to say something, but the blanket floated down and covered his face before he could. He sighed dejectedly and sat down on the bed, defeated.

"Here" Twilight said lifting the blanket off his head using her magic. "Normally, we use our mouths to get something off of our backs… Where exactly did you say you were from?" Twilight said becoming more curious at how he couldn't even perform the most basic of tasks.

"Well… That's a long story…" Alex said unsure of even where to begin. "Can… I get it all together in my head while we find the princess?" Alex asked slowly.

"Oh! Sure!" Twilight said, not wanting to press anything on him. He was obviously troubled over it. "Come on, let's go find her." Twilight said dropping the blanket in a ball on the bed next to Alex, who was still standing on top of it.

Jumping off the bed Alex walked out the door behind Twilight, unsure of what waited for him outside...

As soon as Alex stepped out the door, he was hit was a refreshing burst of cool air. Breathing in, he smiled, happy to be out in the sun.

Looking around, Alex saw ponies everywhere. Dancing, eating, all together having a good time. Alex hadn't gotten five steps from the house before a pink pony zipped in front of him, blocking his path.

"Hiya!" The pony said with a bright smile on her face. "You want some cake?" She said shoving a piece of cake into his mouth, "I made it myself!"

Alex was taken by surprise by the sudden intrusion of her hoof into his mouth, however, upon tasting the cake, he had forgotten all about the impossibility of pushing cake into a ponies mouth that way.

"Gooooood huh?" She said giggling.

"Hmmph!" Alex said with his mouth full. "It's the best I've ever had!" He said after swallowing.

The pony beamed, "Thanks! I'm Pinkie Pie!" She said extending a hoof.

Alex reached his hoof out to shake hers "My name is AaaaaaaAaaaa!" Upon shaking her hoof, he was greeted with a

shock coming from a buzzer on her hoof.

The pink pony snorted, and fell over in uncontrollable fits of laughter.

Alex looked into a mirror attached to a building a few feet away, his hair was sticking straight up, the feathers on his wings were skewed in all directions, and to top it all off, a small amount of smoke was rising from the tip of his horn.

'Just like a cartoon…' Alex said to himself.

This made him think of something. Shaking his whole body back and forth as if he were a dog drying off. Upon stopping, he looked in the mirror again, and, as he thought, he was clean again. He smiled; he was starting to like this world more and more.

"Hey Alex!" He heard Twilight call. "Come on! We'll have plenty of time to spend with Pinkie after we talk to the princess." She said trotting toward what looked like the center of town.

"Oh! Right!" Alex said hurrying off toward Twilight. "Thanks for the cake Pinkie Pie!" He said before he moved into a crowd.

As Alex walked through the town, he couldn't help but notice the difference in girls to boys. For every one colt he saw, there were five mares. And while a ratio like this may not have been the strangest thing he had seen in this world, he still decided to ask about it.

"Hey Twilight, I was wondering…" Alex started.

"Hmm?" Twilight said, turning around to face him, walking backwards.

"Well… Why are there so many girls here?" Alex said plainly.

Twilight looked around, she had noticed this yesterday, when she first arrived in the town. "Well… not all places are like this." Twilight said slowly. "In my hometown of Canterlot, we have plenty of stallions… This town is just… different. I don't really know more than that."

"Huh. Okay. Thanks, I guess" Alex laughed.

"Sorry I can't be more help, it's just how it is." Twilight said, slightly embarrassed that she couldn't provide a better explanation. "We'll figure it out some day, I'm sure" She finished, with a smile.

Twilight had been so involved with her conversation with Alex that she didn't notice the pony behind her, and the two promptly collided with one another.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry!" Twilight said picking herself up off the ground.

Alex quickly moved around Twilight to check on the collapsed pony behind her. "Hey, are you okay?" He said to the deep purple pony.

The filly looked up and went wide eyed at the sight of Alex, not saying a word. Her mouth simply hung open, as if she wanted to speak, but wasn't able to.

"What's wrong?" Alex said concerned at her reaction to him.

Twilight shook her head, regaining her composure. She then moved to beside Alex, so she could see what was wrong with the pony she had bumped into. Upon seeing the speechless filly, she immediately understood. Smiling, Twilight approached them. "Alex, this is Princess Luna, I believe you two have met." She said, smiling inwardly, knowing this would confuse Alex.

Alex gave Twilight a puzzled look, he knew a handful of ponies, and didn't even know the names of half of them. This filly wasn't one of those few. "Twilight… I don't…."

Cutting him off, Twilight smiled. "Alex, I'd like to reintroduce you to Night Mare Moon."

Alex cocked an eyebrow, he remembered Twilight mentioning her being transformed into a child, but this filly looked so… harmless. He could see that she was worried about how he'd receive her, so, he lowered his head to her level and smiled, "Nice to see you again, Night Mare."

The filly looked up at him with tears welling in her eyes. After a few seconds, she started to gets words out. "I… I'm so sorry…" She sniffled. "I really could have hurt everypony, *sniff* especially Twilight!" tears were openly streaming down her face at this point, "thank you so much for stopping me!" she finished, looking down at the ground.

Alex hadn't expected this kind of reaction from her. Here was the proud, dark mare that had wanted to hurt them all so badly, changed into this crying child who couldn't even make eye contact with him. Upon seeing her like this, any worries he might have had about her trying to hurt anypony again were pulled away from his mind.

Alex smiled and used his hoof to lift up her chin, until she was looking at him. "I don't blame you for what happened. You're not Night Mare Moon anymore. She's gone, so you can stop apologizing." Alex said giving her a comforting smile.

"And you don't need to thank me;" He continued "I just did what anypony would have done." He said for the second time, ignoring his use of the term 'anypony.'

Twilight smiled as she saw this side of Alex, he was a genuinely nice colt. She had been a little worried that he might have reacted poorly to finding out this was Night Mare Moon. But, she was happy to see that he was treating Luna like a real pony, unlike so many of the villagers who still feared her.

Luna beamed, she had expected a much worse reaction, but was overjoyed to see that he wasn't judging her "thank you..." She said quietly.

"Oh!" Luna said suddenly. "My sister was looking for the two of you!"

Twilight stepped forward as Luna said this. "We were just looking for her; do you know where she's gone?" She asked.

"She's over at the table with all the cake" Luna said pointing a hoof toward the most densely packed part of town.

Twilight laughed at hearing this. Her mentor had always had a weakness for cake, so, her being at the table with the most of it was no surprise to her. "Thanks Luna, come on Alex!" Twilight said trotting off toward the crowd.

"Thanks a lot Princess Luna!" Alex said following after Twilight.

As Alex followed Twilight closely through the crowd, he couldn't believe that he had just had such a casual encounter with a princess. The royalty in this world was so much more down-to-earth than in his world. He liked it.

Alex had been looking at the ponies in the crowd he was been walking through, and besides the fact that most of them were girls, he also noticed that they all had marks on their sides, like Twilight. But one difference was that there were so many variations, like: flowers, clouds, bubbles, hourglasses, and many more. The only ponies he had seen without these marks were all foals.

"Princess Celestia!"

Alex looked up to see a large white mare, who was about the same size as Night Mare Moon, at the table about to eat a piece of cake.

The Princess looked at Twilight, then to Alex, then back to her cake and sighed dejectedly, she then put the cake down and looked back to Twilight.

"I see our guest has awakened" Princess Celestia said to Twilight. Turning to Alex she smiled "Thank you for what you did for Twilight. It sounds like you showed up right in the nick of time, and saved the day."

"I just did what anypony would have done" Alex said again, getting frustrated over the involuntary 'anypony' he kept saying.

"Is something wrong?" Princess Celestia said noticing his obvious frustration.

"Well… A lot of things are wrong…" Alex said, showing a visible change in mood. "And… I don't think you'd believe me if I told you. But hay, I barely believe the story myself." He said sighing at his use of 'hay' instead of 'hell.'

Princess Celestia could see how troubling this was to him, "You've stirred up a lot of questions that only you can answer

Alex. I'll try to answer yours, if you can answer ours." She said in an extremely soothing voice.

Alex looked around him, at crowd of ponies that now surrounded him, all waiting to hear his story.

"Alright" He said simply. "Where can I start…?"

Alex thought for a moment then decided. "Well… I'm not from here… I'm from somewhere very… different. Somewhere where I wasn't a pony…"

"And, that's how I ended up here." Alex said finally.

By the time he was done talking, just about every pony in town was there. They had been standing around him listening as he explained where he was from, how he used to be human, how he found the bright light, and how he woke up in Equestria. He explained how he had caught on to the girls trail, the serpent, the bridge, and eventually, the fight with Night Mare Moon.

Alex had explained how different ponies were from humans, and how he kept saying the wrong things. He even explained that he couldn't get a blanket off his own back, which had elicited a few laughs out of the crowd.

One thing he had not mentioned was what had happened to his parents. He didn't want the pity, and didn't feel it was important to the story.

By the time he was done, he simply sat down on him rump, and sighed.

"I see…" Celestia said, breaking the silence.

"You think I'm completely insane, don't you?" Alex said, staring at the ground.

"No. I don't." Celestia began "I knew something was different about you the first time I saw you. This simply confirms my suspicions."

"So, can you help me get back home?" Alex asked.

"Now that… I'm afraid I cannot help you with." She said apologetically.

"So… am I stuck here?" Alex said, losing all hope.

"I didn't say that." Celestia said with a smile.

Alex perked up at hearing this, "What then?" he said excitedly.

"When it comes to using magic to move yourself, only the pony casting the spell can choose the destination" Celestia explained, "And, only you have been where you're trying to go, only you know those feelings that come with it." She continued, "If you think of your home, and the feelings that it brings you, you can use those to take yourself back."

"Oh, so I can't just click my heels together and say 'there's no place like home,' huh?" Alex said laughing and looking at Celestia, who obviously didn't get the reference. "*ahem* So, basically, I just have to think of home and use a spell? Sounds easy enough, let's get started!" He said standing up.

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy Alex" Celestia said, cutting his excitement short. "Performing a spell like that takes a lot of practice."

"I've been training for years, and I can only just perform a spell THAT powerful" Twilight piped in.

"Oh… So… I'm going to need to be trained for… years?" Alex said, as their words sunk in.

"I'm afraid that may be the case…" Celestia said, unhappy at having to deliver this news.

Alex looked up, and surprised everypony with what he said next, "Then let's get started! If this is gonna take me years, I'd better get started now, right?" Alex said filled with vigor.

Everyone was shocked by this, including Celestia. However, her shocked expression eventually changed to a small smile, she admired his enthusiasm. "Well then, if you'd really like to learn this, I can think of nopony better to teach you than… Twilight."

Twilight was shocked by this to say the least, "What? Me? Princess… I don't know if I'm able to…"

"Twilight" Celestia interrupted. "I can't think of a single pony that would do a better job teaching him than you."

"But… what about you? You… You could do a much, MUCH better job than me!" Twilight stammered, blushing at everypony staring at her.

"With Luna coming back to the castle, I'll have my hooves full helping her integrate back into normal life." Celestia explained. "This way, Alex can live here in Ponyville, and you and your friends can help him adjust to life here. Would you mind that Alex?" She asked him.

"No! Not at all! Besides… you're kind of the only pony I know…" Alex said turning to Twilight.

"Well… Okay!" Twilight said, not wanting to disappoint her mentor or Alex.

"Wonderful!" Celestia said. "Now, you'll need somewhere to stay while you're in Ponyville." She said turning to Alex.

"Would you mind staying in the library with Twilight until I can get you some accommodations?"

"Uh, sure!" Alex said, "Whatever works!"

"Alright, now that we have everything worked out, let's say we get back to the party, hmm?" Celestia said to cheers of the crowd, as they all went back to enjoying themselves.

Not wanting to be stuck in a town full of ponies he didn't know, Alex looked around for Twilight, and was surprised at where she was. He approached Twilight, who had sunk into an ally way between some cottages as everypony had spread out.

"Hey Twilight, you okay?" Alex asked as he got closer to her.

"Um, yeah…" She said, her voice sounding shaky.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, concerned.

"I… I don't know if I'm going to be able to do everything the princess asked me to…" Twilight said looking at the ground. "What if I can't do it?"

"Are you kidding?" Alex said walking right next to her. "I saw you charge head first at Night Mare Moon! Something nopony would EVER do. Then! You gathered all the energy of the elements of harmony, and defeated her with it!" Alex continued. "Twi… You're the most capable thing I know! Pony OR human! And I have all the confidence in the world that you will be able to help me" Alex finished, hoping this had improved her confidence.

"You really think that?" Twilight asked quietly.

"Absolutely" Alex said back.

"Thank you Alex" Twilight said looking up from the ground. "I needed that."

Alex smiled at her, and she returned it.

"Come on," Alex said walking beside her "let's get back to the party, I wanna try some more of that cake!" He finished as the two walked back to the party.

* * *

Hours had passes since Celestia had asked Twilight to teach Alex how to perform magic, and since then, the two had been eating lots of cake, dancing, meeting ponies around town, altogether enjoying the party, and getting used to their new home in Ponyville.

The sky had just started getting darker, when, Princess Celestia stood up and used her magic to lightly bang a spoon on the side of her teacup.

Alex and Twilight turned along a few others, giving their attention to the princess.

"Mares and gentlecolts, if I could please have your attention" Princess Celestia said with just enough volume to make sure everypony heard her. Once the last of the talking died inside the crowd, she continued. "In honor of the 1000th annual summer sun celebration, and the return of my sister, Princess Luna, I would like to invite her to come and raise the moon, and usher in the night, for the first time in a thousand years."

All attention was drawn to Luna, who had clearly not been expecting this. She blushed deeply as she approached Celestia. "Are you sure about this, Sister?" Luna asked timidly.

Celestia smiled, "Of course. Nothing would make me happier."

Luna nodded, and smiled back at her sister, holding back tears. "Thank you."

As Luna moved away from Celestia, the crowd backed away, giving her plenty of room to perform her royal duty.

Alex watched on, wondering exactly what it meant to 'raise the moon.'

"Hey Twilight, what exactly is she doing?" He asked quietly.

"Just watch" Twilight whispered back, not taking her eyes off of Luna.

Luna bowed her head in front of the crowd, and her horn started to glow. Then, giving her wings a few powerful flaps, she lifted herself into the air. Raising her head up, she looked up into the sky as the glow around her horn brightened. Everypony watched on in awe as the moon rose from the horizon, moving directly behind Luna. Encompassing her in its light, all anypony could see of her was a silhouette, in front of the large moon behind her.

The crowd cheered as Luna landed on the ground. She looked at the cheering ponies in front of her and blushed again. She hadn't expected everypony to warm up to her this quickly… Looking through the crowd, she saw an awe-stricken Alex standing next to a giggling Twilight. She winked at him, and then moved away from the crowd rejoining her sister.

Celestia beamed. This had done exactly what she had wanted it to. She wanted Luna to be accepted by the masses as quickly as possible, and she could think of no better way to do this than to have her raising the moon, and watching over the night again as quickly as possible.

"With that, I'm afraid I must announce our leave" Celestia began, earning several moans of displeasure from the crowd. "The party has been lovely, but much needs to be done in Canterlot to accommodate the return of Princess Luna." She said, happily.

Twilight had been observing Princess Celestia since the party had started, and she was surprised to say the least. She had been mentored by the princess for years, but she had never seen her like this. Celestia was absolutely beaming. Twilight didn't think she had ever seen her smile this much. She was truly happy to have her sister back.

"So, thank you for having us everypony, I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening." The Princess said standing up, and walking toward Twilight, who quickly moved out of the crowd and met her half way. "I hope you enjoy your stay here, my faithful student. And remember, I have faith in you." She said looking at Alex, then back to her. "And don't hesitate to ask me for anything if you need It. Goodbye…" Celestia said, fighting back tears yet again. She then turned around and headed toward the royal carriage.

"Goodbye princess!" Twilight said, her voice cracking and her tears flowing freely.

"Bye everypony!" Luna said, waving hoof to the crowd, then turned around and followed her sister.

The royal guards took their positions in front of the carriage, and prepared for their departure.

"Oh!" Celestia said suddenly. "Mrs. Cake!"

"Yes dearie?" a blue pony with a pink mane said taking a step from the crowd, toward the carriage. "Oh! I mean… P… Princess!" She stammered, correcting herself.

"About what we talked about…" Celestia said to the earth pony.

"Don't worry about a thing!" Mrs. Cake said with a smile, "I'll make sure they get to you."

"Wonderful" Celestia said with a smile, nodding to her lead guard, signaling them to start taking off.

As the carriage started to take flight, Luna popped her head over the edge, "Thank you everypony!" She shouted loudly, happy to finally be going home.

Alex couldn't help but smile at her, she acted so young, and yet, only one night before, she had been a fully grown mare, with no trace of what she was now. Either way, he was just happy that things turned out the way they did, because they could have turned out much worse.

"So!" Alex said turning to Twilight, "Do you mind if we head back?"

"Hey Twilight!" Pinkie Pie shouted, falling out of the sky and landing in between them. "I'm throwing an after-party at Sugarcube Corner!"

"Pinkie? Where did you…" Alex began looking around for some place that Pinkie could have jumped from to land between them the way she had.

'_Remember Alex, cartoon world'_ He said to himself.

"Uhh, never mind." Alex finished quickly.

"So! I was thinking you could bring Alex around and introduce him to the rest of the gang!" Pinkie said excitedly.

"Oh!" Twilight said turning to Alex, "You wanted to head back, right?"

"Oh, no! I'll come," Alex said with a yawn. "I can definitely stop in for a bit."

"Alright!" Pinkie cheered, "Come on! Everypony's waiting for us!" she said as she started hopping off into the crowd, toward Sugarcube Corner, with Twilight and Alex closely behind.

Alex was in awe of the building Pinkie had brought them to. The bottom of the house looked normal, but the roof looked like it was made of gingerbread that had been decorated with icing and candies. The house even had the very top level decorated like a giant cupcake with candles in it. It looked like someone had pulled it straight out of Hansel and Gretel.

Upon entering the building, Alex was met with the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. The room was absolutely full of sweets. There were cakes, cupcakes, candy canes, pies, cookies, and much more. This store would **definitely** be having his business in the future.

"Come on guys!" Pinkie said leading them up the stairs to the left of the entrance, "Everypony is up in my room!"

Following her up the stairs, they entered a large circular room directly above the shop, filled with balloons, cake, punch, and four ponies.

"We're here!" Pinkie shouted, getting everyone's attention.

Alex recognized all of the ponies from the battle with Night Mare. He had seen them around town during the party, but hadn't talked to any of them except for Twilight and Pinkie.

"Girls, I'd like to introduce you to Alex." Twilight began. "Alex, these are my friends, Pinkie Pie, Rar…."

"Wait!" Alex said interrupting her. "Can I try? I think I can remember their names from the battle last night." He was always good at remembering people's names, so he thought this would be a fun challenge.

"Sure!" Twilight laughed. She had only said their names once in front him, so, she was happy to let him give this a try.

"Okay…" He said looking at the lineup of girls in front of him, then, pointing a hoof at Pinkie he started working his way across. "You're Pinkie Pie, the element of laughter." Alex began "I would shake your hoof, but I don't want another shock."

Pinkie lifted her hoof off the ground and flipped it, revealing a buzzer. She then exploded into a fit of snorts, and giggles.

Everypony else started giggling along with her, she had a very contagious laughter, which was fitting for her Element.

Moving on to the next pony in line, Alex pointed his hoof at a peach pony with a blonde mane, who was wearing a brown hat. "You," he started confidently "Are Applejack, the element of honesty, Right?"

She smiled "Darn tootin'" She extended a hoof "it's a pleasure to meetcha'!"

Shaking her hoof, he took a mental note of her southern American accent. This should have confused him, but, at this point, nothing was a surprise anymore.

The next pony in like was the white unicorn with the purple mane. She was very ladylike, and extremely good looking… Beautiful even.

This thought made him pause. He thought she was beautiful? Looking back and forth between all six ponies in front of him, he had to admit, they were all attractive. But why did he think that? These ponies were, well… ponies. Generally, he limited his attractions to his own species...

Then it hit him, they WERE his species. He WAS a pony. He knew his mind hadn't been quite right since he was brought here, he had been saying the wrong things, having odd cravings for odd food, and now this. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Deciding that finding ponies attractive wasn't the end of the world, he moved on.

"You're Rarity" Alex finally said, "the element of generosity."

"Quite right," Rarity said with a smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you Alex."

"The pleasure is all mine," Alex said lifting her leg up, and lightly kissing the end of her hoof.

Rarity blushed deeply, and the other ponies laughed at her reaction.

"Sorry," Alex with a wink. "I couldn't resist."

The next pony in line Alex knew he would have some trouble with. She was a yellow pony with a bright pink mane, and wings. He tried to make eye contact with her, but she hid behind her hair. He thought hard, but couldn't come up with her name… He needed to get a better look at her.

Leaning down, Alex got his head close to hers, "You don't need to hide behind your hair, I'm not going to bite, I promise." He said as softly, with a smile.

She looked up, and he finally saw one of her eyes. Lifting his hoof up, he brushed her mane away from her face. Then, like a ton of bricks, it hit him. "You're Fluttershy, the element of kindness."

She nodded slowly as Alex extended his hoof, "It's nice to meet you Fluttershy" he began "I hope we'll be seeing more of each other."

"I hope so too." She said quietly, as she smiled and shook his hoof.

Alex made another mental note about her timidness, knowing that he would have to be careful about how he treated her.

Moving on to the last pony in line, Alex knew that he was in trouble. She was cyan blue, with a rainbow mane, and wings. She was perhaps the most memorable of the entire group, but he had no idea what her name was. "Well…" he began "Your element is loyalty… But… as for your name…" Alex tried his hardest to think of something, but, came up with nothing. "Uh… is your name… Colors?"

"Excuse me?" The cyan pony said with an unhappy look on her face. "Does it LOOK like my name is Colors?" she said, with a few cracks in her voice.

If Alex was a smarter pony, he wouldn't have answered that question the way he did.

"…Yes?"

"My name is RAINBOW DASH" She said both angry and embarrassed that she was the only one Alex couldn't name. "And, I'm sorry if I wasn't memorable enough for you to remember that." Rainbow said before walking past Alex, and out the door behind him.

The silence in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife; everypony just stared awkwardly at one another.

"Don't worry about her," Twilight said finally breaking the agonizing silence, "She's probably just tired. With everything that's happened, nopony's slept in almost two days!" she explained, "She'll come around after good night's sleep, I'm sure of it." Twilight finished.

"Yeah…" Alex said slowly. "Sorry about that everypony. I didn't mean to hurt her feelings…"

"Don't worry about it darling!" Rarity said to him.

"Yeah!" Applejack chimed in, "Don't you worry nothin' 'bout her."

"Rainbow Dash is made of tough stuff!" Pinkie said "She'll definitely come around!"

"All she needs is a little sleep" Fluttershy added quietly.

"Well… speaking of sleep" Alex said, still a little flustered, "I had better get some of that myself…"

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked him.

"Yeah, I think I've enough of myself a jerk today" Alex said laughing lightly, "I don't wanna risk insulting anypony else."

"Alright…" Twilight said slowly, "Do you want me to show you the way back?"

"No, you stay here and enjoy yourself; I can find my way back." Alex answered quickly, the truth was, this little exchange with Rainbow Dash had simply given him an excuse to head back to the library and get some sleep.

"Well… if you're sure…" Twilight replied, not pushing anything on him.

"Yeah… sorry again everypony..." Alex said turning around, and quickly exited the room.

The girls all had a concerned look on their faces as they watched him leave.

"Well… That was certainly interesting…" Rarity said after hearing the front door closed behind Alex. "What do you think of him Twilight?" She asked.

"Well, he certainly is different…" Twilight began, "but from what I've seen of him, he's a really… genuine pony." She said confident in her choice of words, "The way he treated Luna, how he didn't complain about having to study magic, even the way he introduced himself to all of you." She continued, "I think he's going to be great to have around." She finished smiling.

"I agree! He was quite charming when he introduced himself to us" Rarity said blushing at the thought. "He isn't too hard on the eyes either." She finished with an impish grin.

"I noticed…" Twilight said, now blushing as well.

"Eeyup" Applejack agreed simply.

"I hope he wouldn't be hard on the eyes!" Pinkie said, clearly not understanding what it was they meant. "Because, then…. you'd have to wear glasses to look at him!"

The other girls shook their heads and laughed. Even Fluttershy chuckled at her misunderstanding.

Once the giggling finally died down, Applejack headed over to the record player, and started playing it. "Come on y'all!" She shouted "Let's party!"

For the next few hours, the five girls danced, ate, and overall, had a good time. Which, after everything that had happened the night before, was something they all deserved.

* * *

Alex walked through the now almost empty town. He inhaled, enjoying the fresh night air. Now that he had some time to himself, he thought about his parents. This world had been doing a pretty good job of keeping his mind off of them. But now, he needed to just remember them for a few minutes.

As he walked through the town, his mind mulled over countless memories of them he had, until, his mind stopped on one in particular. The last time he had seen them. Only two days before.

* * *

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

_Alex stirred, opening his eyes looking at his alarm clock._

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

"_7:00 AM… Too early" Alex said rolling over in his bed, clamping a pillow over his ears._

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

"_Fine!" Alex shouted, hitting his hand down on the top of the alarm, silencing the hellish noise._

"_Good to see you're up" Alex's mother said from his bedroom door. "Breakfast is almost ready downstairs. Don't go back to sleep!" she said flipping on the light in his room._

_His mother had always loved doing that. Turning on the light. Alex hated it, but, she kept right on doing it. His mother was a fairly average mom, she cooked, she cleaned, she was all around, a stay home mom. She would often joke about how oppressed she was, but really, she knew better than anyone, that she was the REAL boss._

_She was a small women, standing at a measly 4'6, which worked well, due to how short his father was. She had black hair that had started greying recently. But, whatever grey would grow in, was quickly dyed out. Having seen both of his parents graduation pictures, he didn't understand how his father ended up with his mom. Back in her day, she was gorgeous. But, when his father was younger, he was a dweeb. Even now his mother still got looks from men every now and then. Something his father hated._

_Alex shielded his eyes from the obnoxious light with his blanket. "I love you too mom!" he shouted from under the safety of his comforter. _

_Sighing, he pulled the blanket from over his head and let his eyes adjust to horrible brightness. Then, he stood up from his bed and headed for the shower. _

_Once he finished, he pulled on a clean shirt, and a pair of jeans he had worn the day before. Once he was satisfied with himself, he headed down for breakfast._

"_Mornin' sleeping beauty" Alex's father said lowering his newspaper and smiling "Did prince charming wake you up with a kiss?"_

_Alex rolled his eyes and laughed. His father had used this line on him at least once a week._

_His father was a short man, standing at only 5'6. His hair had started to grey recently, slowly taking over his natural black. You could also see the wrinkles forming on his face. But, because of his work on the ranch, he had kept himself in rather good physical condition. Alex and his father had always been close. With the constant insults, the fist fights over the TV remote, and the "camping" he hated so much, Alex really couldn't be happier. His father had always given him a hard time, but it was always in good fun._

"_Oh, I forgot to tell you, me and your mother were gonna head into the city to pick up a load of groceries. You mind if we take your truck?" His father asked. _

"_Yeah, sure" Alex said, getting some scrambled eggs out of the frying pan, then sitting down to join his father._

"_Great" He started slowly, "You know, I was thinking… what say you and I go on another camping trip next weekend?" His father said, poking his eye over his newspaper._

"_Ha!" Alex said. "How about this, you go, and you can tell me all about it when you get back. Sound good?" He said, scooping some eggs into his mouth._

"_Come on! Name one thing that's wrong with going camping." His father said confidently._

"_Oh, I won't just name one," Alex began with a smile, "There's the lack of electricity, the lack of heating, the lack of toilets, the lack of showers. So, pretty much the lack of EVERYTHING. Then, there's The bears, the wolfs, the bees, the mosquitos, and, did if forget to mention the BEARS." Alex repeated. "And, to top it all off, I just don't like you." He finished, putting some eggs into him mouth._

"_Come on chief!" His father mocked. "You might need those skills for the future!"_

"_I can promise you right now, I will NEVER need those skills. I don't see myself getting stuck in any forests any time soon." Alex said. "So, I think I'll pass."_

_As he finished his last bit of breakfast, Alex's mother entered the room._

"_I got all of your laundry done, and put in your room." She said sitting down at the table. "So, make sure it gets folded and put away." _

"_Yes ma'am!" Alex said giving her a salute._

"_Oh! Dear," His mother began, "your father and I were wondering if we could borrow the truck to run some errands."_

"_I know, dad already asked" Alex said. "And I said he could take it, if I didn't have to go camping with him." He said smirking._

"_Fine" His father said. "You're lucky I have to feed your mother, because I'd just skip the groceries, and have you starve.´_

"_I have money you know." Alex said pulling an extremely wrinkled 5 dollar bill out of his pocket._

"_Oh, I see that. You're rolling in the dough, aren't you?" He said sarcastically. _

"_Yeah well… I'll go out and work the corner if I REALLY need money." Alex said, causing his mother and father burst laughter. He couldn't help but smile with them._

"_Well. All career choices aside," Alex said snickering, "When are you two heading out?"_

"_Probably the same time as you" Alex's mother said wiping a tear from her eye. "We were thinking we would go into town, have some lunch, see a movie, and make a day of it." She said wrapping her arm around her husbands. _

"_You want anything while we're there?" His father asked._

"_No, Don't worry about me" Alex said. "You two just do your thing."_

_Standing up, Alex's walked over to the stove and tossed his plate and the frying pan into the sink. "Well, I'm leaving just about now, so… shall we go?" He said looking at his parents._

"_Sure thing" His mother said picking up her purse and walking to the front door with Alex. "You coming?" She said to her still seated husband. "If you like, I can just go down to Alex's corner and hire one of his co-workers to be my date for the day." _

"_Well, we can't have that!" His father standing up from the table quickly, "They might fall in love with you and convince you to run away with them!" He said walking toward the door. "Then again… that doesn't sound so bad."_

"_Oh shut it, you!" She said hitting her husband with her purse lightly._

"_You're way out of their league anyway" His dad said giving her a kiss on the lips. "Let's get going." He finished with a smile._

_The three of them exited the house together and headed for their respective cars. "Hey Alex!" his father called, reaching into his pocket and throwing Alex the keys for the car._

_Catching them, Alex tossed his father the keys to his truck._

_Using them, he got inside the truck with his wife, and roared the engine to his life. "Oh, kiddo, come here." His dad said suddenly._

_Walking over, his father reached into his pocket and handed him his credit card._

"_What's this for?" Alex said raising an eyebrow._

"_Almost no gas in that thing, you'd better fill it up on your way." He said pointing at the car._

"_Oh, thanks." Alex said smiling. "You guys have fun, okay?" _

"_Aww, thanks sweetie!" His mother said happily. "Come here!" She said leaning over her husband toward the open window with her arms outstretched. _

_Alex sighed and leaned forward, letting her embrace him over his dad through the open window. _

"_Have a good day at school!" She said, then kissing him on the cheek._

_Alex could hear his dad laugh quietly at his embarrassment. "I will" he said pulling back. "Love you."_

"_I love you" His father mimicked in a squeaky voice._

"_Shut up." Alex said rolling his eyes. "You'll be back by the time I'm done my date with Dallas?"_

"_Yup" His father said putting the car into gear. "Try not to miss us too much; we'll be here when you get home." He finished as he drove the car straight out the gate._

"_I'll try not to!" Alex shouted as they pulled away on to the main road._

_Smiling, he got into his dads car and started it. Looking at the gas gauge, it was as he thought, full. He knew this was his father's way of saying 'Please come camping.' "Well, if I'm going camping," Alex said, "I might as well make him pay for it."_

_Knowing this card would score him some points with his girlfriend, Alex Slipped the card into his pocket, and started thinking where he was going to take her for dinner._

* * *

Everything had happened so suddenly that day. It had all started out wonderfully. Like any other day. But after that, the day went from good, to bad, to horrible. However, the one thing that he was happy he had, was the final exchange he had with his parents. He thanked Celestia that the last thing that happened between them wasn't an argument or something like that. His final memories of his parents had been great ones. And, as heart wrenching as it was to think of his 'final memories' with them, at least those memories had been something worth it.

Smiling lightly, Alex opened the door to the library. He was surprised that all the lights were on. Something he hadn't noticed on his arrival because of his little flash back.

"Who are you?" A voice said.

Alex almost had a heart attack. He hadn't expected somepony else to be here.

"Are you a burglar pony? Because I'll have you know that I'm a dragon! And you shouldn't mess with a dragon!" The voice said, attempting toughness.

Alex looked up the stairs to where the voice had come from. And, sure enough, there was a dragon. A very small dragon, or, what Alex assumed was a small dragon. He was a small purple creature with a light green stomach, and dark green scales across his head, almost like a mohawk.

"Don't worry buddy. I'm no burglar." Alex said to the dragon. "I'm staying here until I can get a place to stay in Ponyville." He explained. "By the way, what's your name?"

"I'm Spike!" The small dragon said puffing his chest out and smiling. "I'm Twilights assistant!"

"Well, it's nice to meet you Spike." Alex said, walking up the stairs toward the dragon. "What kind of dragon did you say you were again?"

"Well…" Spike began, "I'm still TECHICALLY a baby dragon… But because of all the studying with Twilight I've done, I'm a lot smarter than I look!" He said proudly.

Alex cocked an eyebrow, somehow he didn't find this all THAT strange. This world was filled with surprises, and he was starting to get used to it. "Well, I'm Alex" He said extending a hoof.

Spike reached out and wrapped his hand around Alex's hoof, shaking it. "Nice to meet you! I'm Spike" he repeated with a smile.

Alex couldn't help but be jealous that Spike had actual hands. He missed holding things…

"Have you seen Twilight?" Spike asked, looking at the clock, and realizing just how late it was.

"Oh, she's over at Pinkie Pie's house. They're having an after party." Alex explained.

"That pony sure likes parties." Spike said to himself, remembering the night before. "So… Why are you staying here?" He asked.

"Well… THAT, is a long story…" Alex began, heading down the wooden stairs toward the main reading area. "I guess I'll start from the very beginning. You should probably sit down." He said taking a second to gather his thoughts. "Oh!" He said suddenly, "I'm not crazy, no matter how crazy this story sounds."

Spike nodded and sat down on a chair sandwiched between two bookshelves.

"This is all true" Alex said before beginning.

Spike nodded.

"I'm not making it up" Alex continued.

Spike nodded again.

"I'm not crazy" Alex said, still not moving on.

"Okay! I get it!" Spike said frantically, just wanting to her the story.

"Right, sorry!" Alex began. "Well… It all started a few days ago…"

"And then, after making a total jerk out of myself, I headed back here." Alex said, finishing his story.

Spike was silent. The story had been beyond farfetched. But, if Princess Celestia believed Alex, then he must have been telling the truth. "Well, if all that's true, that means you'll be around for a while learning magic, right?" Spike asked.

"I guess so," Alex answered. "Twilight said it could take years…"

Spike saw the troubled look cross Alex's face. "Well, I'm sure it won't take you that long." He said comfortingly. "Besides, now that you're here, I'm not the only guy!" Spike said, realizing how excited this made him. "I won't be stuck doing lots of girly stuff with Twilight and her friends all the time!"

Alex couldn't help but smile. Spike may have appeared to be young, but he had the mindset of a young teenager. And on top of that, Alex really couldn't help but agree with him. It would be nice to have another guy around. Alex was sure he'd get along with Spike just fine. However, it was late, and Alex knew that Spike should probably be sleeping. "Well Spike, I couldn't agree more. But, I think right now, we should hit the hay." Alex suggested.

"Yeah, you're right. Twilight would kill me if she knew I was up this late." Spike said laughing. "But, one more thing before we go… You know that white unicorn with the purple hair?" Spike asked.

"Rarity?" Alex asked, confused.

"Yeah!" Spike said smiling. "She's mine. Don't go near her." He said, suddenly dead serious.

"Um, okay?" Alex said, even more confused than last time.

"Good!" Spike said smiling again, as if he hadn't said anything. "Oh! That's gonna be the room you stay in. It's the only other one with a bed." He said pointing at a door across the room.

Alex recognized the room as the one he had come out of when he first woke up after the battle with Night Mare.

"Thanks!" Alex said walking toward the room. "Get a good night's sleep, alright?" Alex asked. "The last thing I need is Twilight angry at me too."

Spike laughed, "Sure thing! And If you need anything, just ask." He said before blowing out all the candles, then heading back up the stairs to his and Twilights room.

"Goodnight!" Alex called to Spike, hearing him close his door.

Alex walked into the room that he had been in previously. Smiling, he walked his way over to the bed, and collapsed on top of it. If today and yesterday were any indicator, life here was going to be crazy. And if he was gonna pull through it all, he'd need sleep.

Because he had a feeling, this story was only just beginning.

**Prologue: End **


	2. Magic 101

Chapter 1

Magic 101

/

**Hey, if you're enjoying this so far, could you help me out by following that link? It'll just raise views on another site for me. You can click it, and then close it. Anyway, enjoy the rest of it!**

www. fimfiction net story/22486/Off-The-Record

One week later

Alex slowly opened his eyes and looked around. "Yup, Still in cartoon world." He muttered to himself. Getting himself out of bed with zero blanket trouble, he looked at the clock, it read 8:00 AM. Yawning, he shook his head trying to wake himself up. He was still feeling the effects of the party from the week before, and hadn't adjusted to a proper sleeping schedule yet. He just hoped that he wouldn't have to do any partying until he could get used to sleeping properly.

One thing that he hadn't had a chance to deal with, was his little problem with Rainbow Dash. He hadn't gotten a chance to apologize to her since he had mistaken her name, and she had stormed out of Pinkies house. But, he knew the opportunity would present itself eventually, so, he pushed it from his mind for the moment.

Grabbing a brush, he quickly fixed his bed mane, and with a quick look in the mirror, he flared his white wing and shook it, making sure the feathers weren't messy. Then, after doing the same with his grey wing, he decided he was decent. Today was his first day of magic training, and he didn't want to show up a mess.

Walking out of his room, he grabbed an apple from a basket next to his door with his mouth. But, He had to be careful, he wasn't used to carrying things this way, and he didn't want to puncture the skin on the apple. He hoped he could get used to magic quickly, so he didn't have to hold everything this way.

Walking into the front section of the library, Alex noticed that Twilight had moved the large wooden horse head to the side, and put a wooden desk in its place. He could also see a chalk board that she had brought in and placed in front of a bookshelf. Getting the idea, Alex quickly sat himself in the desk, and waited.

After a few minutes, Twilight came in through the front door with a few bags of groceries and a couple of books, all held in the air using her magic. Seeing him waiting in the desk, she quickly focused and put all the food she had bought in its proper place, then she trotted over the chalk board and placed the books she had been holding on a small desk next to the chalk board.

"Sorry about that!" Twilight began. "I would have been back sooner, but Applejack stopped me and asked me if I could help her harvest some apples, I would have, but I have some lessons to teach you!" She said to Alex. "So… Welcome to Magic 101!" She said suddenly sounding much more professional. She then lifted a piece of chalk to the board with her magic and started writing her name. "My name is Twilight Sparkle and I'm…." She stopped when she noticed the look on Alex's face.

"I know who you are Twilight." Alex said smirking. "Is all this REALLY necessary?" He said lifting an eyebrow.

"Yes." Twilight answered simply. "I read that the best way of teaching somepony, is to be professional, and maintain a consistent attitude!" She said matter-of-factly, as a creepy smile started forming on her face. "And it wouldn't be very consistent of me if I changed my attitude right away!" She continued with a twitching eye. "So…"

"Understood!" Alex cut in, no longer wanting to question her teaching methods. "You're the boss Twi! Forget I said anything!" Alex said half apologetically, half scared.

"Wonderful!" Twilight said returning to normal. "Now!" She began again, "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and I'll be your teacher!" She said with a smile. "Do you have any questions before we begin today's class?" She asked him.

Alex thought for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Alright then," Twilight said, "today, we're going to have a little history lesson on the origins of magic, before we officially start your training." She said pulling out a rather large book and flipping it open to a page she had bookmarked.

"A LONG time ago," Twilight said putting plenty of emphasis on the word 'Long.' "There weren't any Unicorns. Just Pegasi and Earth Ponies." She said, flipping a page with her magic. "And as far as those ponies were concerned, magic was something that only a few gifted species could conjure." Twilight paused, taking a breath, then continued. "So, at this time, Ponies thought that they weren't capable of magic. However, contrary to popular belief then, and even now, you don't actually NEED a horn to perform magic." She said looking up at a confused Alex.

"Really?" Alex asked, genuinely surprised. "Why wouldn't all ponies use magic then?" He asked, but then quickly realized why. "Let me guess. It's much more difficult without a horn, right?" He said.

"Much more" Twilight said. "I don't think a single pony has performed any magic without a horn since the mysterious stallion did it..." She thought out loud.

"Who? Alex asked, interrupting her thought process.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall off track there." Twilight apologized, finding her place in her book again. "Well, at some point, a large community of ponies, who lived rather far away from the main population, somehow figured out how to use magic." She said, unhappy she couldn't explain the original discovery of magic in more detail. "Nopony really knows how they did it, but they did. And, as time passed, their foals eventually started being born with larger and larger bumps on their heads, until, much later, they were full horns."

"But… if those ponies were so secluded, how have horns become such a normal thing in this world?" Alex asked.

Twilight smiled, happy he was interested. She had been worried he'd be bored. "Well, as the largest colonies of ponies started expanding their territories, they eventually came across the unicorns, and they integrated into the mass population. This is when the true documentation of the unicorns began. Everything before then, we know from stories that had been passed down from generation to generation." She frowned, "So, we'll never know one hundred percent how unicorns came about, but, we have a general idea from the stories they told us. Pretty much, one pony somehow came across it, and taught everyone else."

"Okay…" Alex said, "So… what about that 'stallion' you mentioned?" He asked.

"Well," Twilight said, sorting her thoughts, deciding a slight deviation from the lesson couldn't hurt, "He came along far beyond the discovery of Unicorns… And, after what he did, he was considered to be one of the single most powerful conjurers of all time." She explained to Alex, as he listened intently. "When the very first King of Manehattan started to get the idea that Unicorns were better than earth ponies and Pegasi because of their ability to use magic, a lot of unicorns started to agree with him, and started thinking they deserved better treatment than the 'lesser ponies'" Twilight explained, disgusted that anypony could think such a way,

Hearing this was genuinely surprising for Alex. He never thought that kind of bigotry could exist in a world like this. However, corrupt rulers had brainwashed people in his world. So, it made sense that it could happen in this world too.

"So," Twilight continued, "One day, a stallion appeared… no one had ever seen him before…" She explained. "But, when he confronted the King about this mistreatment, the king tricked him, and used a spell that is now forbidden, which removed his horn. Normally that spell had only been used as punishment for unicorns that were guilty of magic related crimes, but, the King used it to make an example out of the stallion, so that other unicorns wouldn't try to stand up against him." Twilight said pausing momentarily to take a breath.

Alex simply sat quietly, eagerly waiting the next part of the story.

"So, after that happened," Twilight began again, "Many of ponies started to question the King, after seeing him treat a fellow Unicorn in such a way. The Stallion knew he could use this, so, he disappeared for a short while, hoping to convince everypony that he had run away." Twilight smiled as she continued, coming to her favorite part of the story. "Then, during a rather bloody public assembly by the King, the stallion came back, and gave the King one chance to apologize, and stop what he had been doing. But…" Twilight said slowly, purposely driving Alex crazy. "He refused, and told him that he was nothing now that he was an Earth Pony."

Alex gritted his teeth. Even though this King guy was long gone, he still hated the guy. Nopony should be treated that way.

"So when the King refused to stop, the Stallion simply apologized to him... confusing everyone, including the King." Twilight said. "Then the Stallion cast a spell, and a powerful one at that. Something nopony thought would be possible. But he did it, without a horn. The spell turned the king and his most loyal followers into stone, proving that power didn't just belong to Unicorns, but the Earth Ponies, and Pegasi as well." Twilight said smiling at the thought. "However, the spell he had cast was too powerful... And without a horn, a pony can really hurt themselves using magic." She stopped, and explained this, "A horn focuses the magic energy away from the pony, and concentrates it. But, without a horn, casting a spell that powerful would not only be difficult, but… fatal." Twilight said.

"And that's why Earth Ponies don't want to use magic?" Alex asked.

"Exactly," She answered. "Without a horn to focus the energy, magic is nearly impossible. And the fact that using it can seriously injure a pony puts it out of the question." Twilight explained. "So, basically, only Unicorns are safe performing magic." She finished.

Alex nodded.

"Well…" Twilight continued, slowly, "The magic did enough damage to seriously hurt him… So, the Ponies got him to the hospital as fast as they could, but it was too late." Twilight said sadly.

"So… He died." Alex said, now understanding Twilights unhappiness.

"Yes" Twilight answered, sadly. "He had one final request though, that he be left alone in his last moments." She said, sadly. "So… everypony left the hospital, respecting his final wish. But, then the strangest thing happened…" She said, stopping purposely, pausing for a few moments.

"What?!" Alex asked finally, sick of waiting, "What happened next?"

Twilight couldn't help but giggle at his reaction to her teasing, "Well," She finally began, "After the ponies left him in the hospital, there was a bright gold light that seemed to explode out of all the windows… And when they ran back inside, he was gone."

Alex cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean _gone_?" He asked confused. "Is that something ponies do? Return to the force?"

"No." Twilight answered, not understanding the reference. "Something like that had never happened before. So, the ponies went back into the hospital to investigate, there was only one other pony there, but when they asked him what he was doing there, he told them that he was The Doctor and that they were in a hospital. So, after that, they gave up." She explained "If he had been alive, somepony would have recognized him" Twilight said. "So the only way he could have survived, is if he had changed his face." Twilight said laughing. "But let's be serious, like that could ever happen!"

Alex laughed, then quickly realized something. "So… What does that have to do with my studies exactly?" He asked.

Twilight paused, and looked up. "I… Don't really know… I think we got sidetracked a bit." She giggled.

"Okay… Interesting story though!" Alex said, starting to laugh a bit himself.

"Hey! You're the one who asked!" Twilight said, still laughing, starting to tear up.

Alex wasn't sure what the two had found so funny, but they couldn't stop laughing. It was just one of those moments he figured. After a few minutes of laughter between them, the two calmed down enough to talk again.

"Alright, I think it's time to move on!" Twilight said wiping a tear from her eye. "I wanted to get you practicing magic right away so you can get home as quickly as possible." She said smiling.

"Alright!" Alex said excitedly. "What are we doing?"

"I'm going to start you off just doing exercises." Twilight began. "Performing magic is incredibly difficult, it requires a certain state of mind. So, you need to have all of your focus on what it is that you're trying to do." Twilight turned her head to the chalk board, and started copying down everything that she was saying.

Alex leaned forward and started trying his best to follow her instructions.

"When performing magic, it's essential that you know exactly what it is that you want to do," Twilight began, "You need all of your focus on the spell you want to cast." She continued, as she wrote down everything on the chalk board. "Some spells require little effort, and are really nothing more than imagining a hand reaching out of you, and lifting something up. Spells like this are simple compared to the teleport spell you want to cast, but they still require months of practice to do." She continued. "So, you don't need to worry about ACTUALLY casting any spells today. It's going to be a LONG time before…"

"Hey! I'm doin' it!" Alex cheered, amazed that he was actually using magic. It felt surreal to be doing something that he had been told wasn't real since he was a child.

Twilight turned around, and almost fainted when she saw Alex levitating his apple off of his desk.

This was impossible. He hadn't ever used magic before, and yet here he was, using the magic that had taken her so much time to learn back when she was a filly. "I… I…" She stuttered, completely at a loss for words.

After a few seconds of this, Alex fumbled the spell, and dropped the apple. "Aw!" He said turning to Twilight and smiling. "How was that?" His smiling face turned into one of confusion as she stood there, with the same twitching eye he had seen at the beginning of class. "Uh… Twilight?" He asked, now slightly concerned.

"How… how… I… But…" Twilight continued to stutter. "How… How did you do that?"

"Lift the apple?" Alex asked, confused. "I just did what you said."

"But, it takes some ponies YEARS to get their magic to that level!" Twilight managed to say. "You just…" She said searching for the right words, "Do you know what this _means_?" She asked him_, _wide eyed.

"Uh… no?" Alex said, scratching his head again.

"Alex, this means that you're not going to have to train for anywhere NEAR as long as I thought!" Twilight explained, still a little shaken by all of this.

And then, all at once, he understood. "Just… how much time do you think this is going to save me..?" Alex asked slowly.

"Well, you already know the basics… You know how to clear your mind, focus the energy, and manipulate it to do what you want." Twilight answered, "It took me almost 2 years to learn everything to the point that you're at. And on top of that, Princess Celestia and I honestly thought it would take you LONGER to learn this much, on account of you only being a pony for such a short period of time!" She finished, allowing herself to breath.

Alex beamed. He had gotten so used to the idea of being stuck in this world for a long time. But now it was sounding like he would be getting home much sooner than he thought. Unable to contain himself, Alex lunged over his desk, and wrapped his arms around Twilight. "This is great!" He said releasing her, then starting to jump up and down, and cheer.

Twilight smiled at his excitement. She may have been shocked by his amazing magical ability, but this was GOOD news. She wasn't sure how long it would take before he was able to use the spell to go home, but it was now a fraction of what it had been. "Well!" Twilight said, interrupting Alex's cheering, "You still have some ways to go! But, I think we can end our first class a little early, since you went and pretty much made my current curriculum useless" She laughing.

"You know what Alex deserves for being so great at magic?" A voice came from the window.

Alex and Twilight turned to the open window next to them.

"A Party!" Pinkie said poking her head inside, however, she pulled her head out again, and started trying to lift something in through the opening. "Hey Alex, can you help me get my party cannon in through the window?" She asked poking her head back inside.

"You know Pinkie…" Alex started slowly, "I don't think I've recovered after the party last week… how about a rain check?" He said apologetically, and slightly worried about this 'party cannon' of hers.

"Sure thing!" Pinkie smiled. "Here! Have this though!" She said placing a cake on the windowsill. "I was working on it all day for this party, and I wouldn't want it to go to waste!" She beamed.

"But… if this is a party for Alex because he's good at magic… How could you have known this morning?" Twilight asked, not understanding how she had known.

"Oh, I had a combo!" Pinkie explained with a smile, "Anyway, you two enjoy the rest of the day!" She said pushing her cannon away.

"That pony is really…" Alex began

"Random." Twilight finished.

The two nodded, agreeing with each other.

"Well, let's not let this cake go to waste!" Alex said, carefully using two hooves to lift the base that the cake sat on, placing it on the table in the middle of the room.

The two sat down at the table and Twilight cut them each a piece with her magic.

For the next while, Twilight and Alex simply talked about different things. They talked about the class, Ponyville, their hometowns, their families, (with Alex still skipping his parent's deaths.) Then before they knew it, hours had passed, and they had eaten most of the cake. The two were interrupted from their friendly conversation when Spike suddenly ran through the front door.

"Twilight!" Spike shouted running across the room toward the table, "I just got a letter from the Princess!"

"What does it say?" Twilight asked, curious at what the Princess would want to write to her about.

Spike opened the scroll and started reading it out loud. "Hear ye, hear ye, Her Grand Royal Highness Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce The Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the magnificent capital city of Canterlot, on the 21st day of, uh, blah blah" He said skipping over the little details. "Cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle plus on guest!" Spike took the two tickets from the page, and put them on the table.

"The Grand Galloping Gala!" Twilight said excitedly.

"What's that…?" Alex asked looking back and forth between Spike and Twilight.

"The Grand Galloping Gala is the most prestigious ball in Equestria!" Twilight explained. "It's something that anypony would die for a chance to go to!" She said, giddy with excitement.

"It's really girly." Spike said. "Too much dancing and… other girly stuff" He said not able to think of anything else that was really 'girly' about it.

"But… I only got two tickets… Who should I invite?" Twilight said, suddenly realizing the choice she had to make.

"Well, don't worry about me." Alex said "I was never one for a dance. But, I'm sure one of your other friends would be happy to go"

"…That's what I'm afraid of…" Twilight said slowly, know this would be a problem.

A BIG problem.


	3. The Ticket Master Part 1

Chapter 2

The Ticket Master – Part 1

Twilight looked at the two tickets in front of her, and sighed. How was she going to do this? She had an extra ticket to the Gran Galloping Gala, and five friends that she knew would want to go. This was going to lead to a decision that she didn't want to make…

Alex looked at Twilight across the table, she had been sitting there worrying about the tickets for the past half hour, and had barely said a word to him or spike in that entire time. "Uh… Twilight, Is this really going to be a problem?" Alex asked finally.

Twilight nodded slowly. "I'm going to have to pick one of my friends to go… And I don't like having to make that kind of choice…"

Alex thought for a moment, then said "Couldn't you just take Spike?" He asked, "You could tell your friends that he… I don't know, had dibs on it or something!"

Twilight shook her head. "I don't want to lie to anypony!" She said, resting her chin on the table. "I just… Wish there was some fair way for me to pick, that everypony could agree with!" Then the light in her head went off, and her eyes lit up. "I know what to do!"

Alex turned to Spike, then back to Twilight. "…What are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to go out, and ask everypony what they would do if they had a ticket to the Gala!" She announced, standing up. "I won't TELL anypony that I have a spare ticket, I'll just listen to all of them tell me what they'd do if they had the chance to go!" Twilight made her way over to the front door of the library, "Once I hear all their reasons, I'll be able to choose the pony who deserves to go most!"

Alex and Spike watched Twilight trot out the door, and both sighed. "Why does that sound like a terrible idea?" Spike asked.

"Because it is Spike," Alex said to him, watching Twilight walk further away from the library, through the open door, "Because it is." He repeated.

"So… Are we going to go after her?" Spike asked him.

Alex looked back and forth between Spike and the now distant Twilight. "Uh… Yeah, we definitely should." Alex said to him. "Good thinking."

Spike hopped up on Alex's back, and the two ran out the door after Twilight, who had now turned a corner and disappeared. "I hope we didn't lose her…" Alex muttered.

* * *

After some walking through the crowded market, Twilight turned herself and started heading down to the outside of town. Following the dirt path to Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight took some time to think about her brilliant plan.

This was going to be easy! She would casually bring up the Grand Galloping Gala, and find out what Applejack would do if she had the chance to go. It would be no problem at….

"Well, shucks Twilight!" Applejack shouted, cutting off her train of thought "You came a bit late!"

A surprised, and confused Twilight turned Applejack, who had been applebucking a group of trees nearby. "A bit… late?" She asked as Applejack made her way over to the path.

"It turns out I didn't need y'all to win the bet I had with Big Mac!" Applejack said smiling. "I just about worked my rump right off getting' it done, but I did it!"

"Oh?" Twilight asked tilting her head, "What was the bet you had with Big Macintosh?"

"I bet Big Macintosh that I could get all the Golden Delicious apples in the barn by lunchtime!" Applejack said smiling proudly, "An' I did it! So now, he's gotta' walk down Stirrup Street in one of Granny's girdles!" She said looking past Twilight, then suddenly going wide eyed.

Twilight turned around and immediately understood.

"You're lookin' real pretty there Big Macintosh!" Applejack called to her brother,

Twilight watched Big Macintosh walk down the dirt path in a very old fashioned pink girdle that covered him from just before his flank, all the way up to his chest. His midsection had been compressed by the outfit, and as a result, he looked quite thin.

"That pink sure does bring out your eyes Big Mac!" Applejack shouted, holding back all-out laughter.

Twilight was surprised to see that Big Macintosh still had his usual demeanor. She would die of embarrassment if anypony saw her walking around in one of those. And she was a girl! But, somehow, he just kept down the dirt road, as if nothing was wrong at all.

"Mornin' Twilight" Big Macintosh said walking past the two girls, as if nothing was wrong. The truth was, he was embarrassed. But he knew he could rob his sister of some of her victory if he didn't show the embarrassment. So, he simply walked on, dying just a little bit inside.

Applejack frowned as Big Macintosh walked over a hill, and away from the two. "That boy sure knows how to ruin a good time." She said, turning to Twilight. "So! What'd you come 'round for Twi?" She asked.

"What did I come around for...?" Twilight said snapping her view away from the pony in drag. "Oh, I wanted to know what you'd do at the Grand Galloping Gala if you had a chance to go!" Twilight said, realizing that this was probably the least casual way to bring up her question. Well, it was too late now.

Applejack looked at her confused. "Uh, why?" she asked.

"Oh! Just curious! You know… no other reason whatsoever! Ha...ha…" She laughed nervously.

"Well, if that's all!" Applejack said smiling, "Well… I'd really like to go so I could drum up business for Sweet Apple Acres!" She said, picturing it in her head. "I'd get myself an apple stand set up there! Why, with all those hoity toity ponies, I could make a heap of money!" She continued, smiling at the thought. "We could replace that saggy old roof on the barn, and Big Macintosh could replace that saggy old plow, and Granny Smith could replace that saggy old hip! Why, I'd give my left hind leg to go to that Gala!"

"Hmm, that's a very good reason!" Twilight said, smiling at her. "Thanks for telling me!" She said as she started walking away.

"Did you need anythin' else…?" Apple jack asked her, suspicious again.

"Nope!" Twilight said smiling "Thanks Applejack! Anyway, I need to go see Rarity!" She said trotting off, back the way she came. "See you later!" She called over her shoulder.

Applejack simply stood there confused at the ponies quick exit. Twilight was hiding something… that much was clear. But, she had to finish up her work, so, she let it go. She'd find out sooner or later, she was sure.

* * *

Alex and Spike walked into the town square, unfortunately, there had been enough ponies out and about for the two of them to lose track of Twilight pretty fast.

"You see her anywhere?" Alex asked Spike, who was standing on his back, looking through the crowd.

"Nope, Nothing!" Spike replied, still scanning the crowd.

"She could have gone anywhere…" Alex said, sitting down on his rump, causing Spike to slide off of him, and onto the ground. "I don't even know who to ask…" Alex said, frowning. "Any ideas Spike?"

"Uh… Maybe we could ask Applejacks brother…" Spike said, obviously distracted by something.

"Oh! Good idea! Where is he?" Alex said standing up looking around.

Spike simply pointed across the square, not saying a word.

Alex followed his finger and went wide eyed when he saw Big Macintosh. "Is… is that… a…" He stammered.

"It sure is…" Spike said, just as shocked

"Is that a normal thing in this world?" Alex asked. "Because, as weird as this place is, I don't think wearing a girdle in public is something that could ever be considered normal…"

"Don't worry." Spike said, "This isn't normal… But… we should probably still ask him if he knows where Twilight is." Spike said, trying to focus on their task at hand.

"Yeah, let's go!" Alex said, allowing Spike to climb back onto his back, and then following Big Macintosh, who had just gone out of view.

"He went down that hill" Spike said pointing to a slope ahead of them.

Alex walked toward the hill, just as a rather large wagon filled with trash, being pulled by very small mare started coming up it. He couldn't help but be amazed at the strength that some of the ponies had. Even at such a small size, this pony could still pull a wagon that was piled high with garbage. It must have weighed a ton.

However, as if he had jinxed the small mare, the old harness that the pony had wrapped around her suddenly snapped and the wagon started rolling back down the hill, with no one to stop it.

Alex rushed past the dazed mare, to the top of the hill, and looked at the runaway wagon. It was almost half way down the hill, but luckily, there weren't any other ponies on the road besides Big Macintosh. Alex knew the wagon wouldn't seriously hurt him at the speed it was going, but he also knew that he wouldn't be able to dodge the wagon, even if Alex had warned him. So, he did the first thing that came to his mind, and bowed his head, and hoped that he could remember everything that Twilight had told him.

"Alex!" Spike shouted jumping off his back, "What are you doing?" He didn't understand why Alex wasn't doing anything. "Hey, Big Macintosh!" Spike shouted down the hill, "Look out!"

Turning his head, Big Macintosh saw the wagon heading for him, but, as Alex had also thought, it was too close for him do anything about it. So, he simply braced himself for the impact, knowing that at the very least, he could stop it from damaging someponies home, at the bottom of the hill. So, he closed his eyes, and waited for the impact…

Alex could feel huge amounts of energy pouring into his horn, just begging to be used. Looking up, he focused the energy on the wagon. Then, an inch away from running into Big Mac, the wagon stopped dead.

When the impact that he had been expecting never came, Big Macintosh slowly opened his eyes and was happy to see the wagon slowly being lifted off the ground in a white aura. He sighed, and sidestepped the wagon, and started walking toward the top of the hill, to thank Alex.

However, Alex wasn't out of the woods yet. He was filled with so much energy; his vision was blurring, and his head was starting to hurt. On top of that, he still didn't know how to use magic properly yet, so he wasn't able to pull the wagon back to the top of the hill safely. Instead of a nice slow pace, the wagon flew at him, at a much more dangerous speed than it had been going before. So, in a panic, he expelled all of his energy at once into the wagon, sending it flying away in the opposite direction.

Spike, Alex, Big Macintosh and the owner of the cart, all watched in awe, as the wagon flipped through the air over the rest of the town, flinging apple cores, banana peels, opened cans, moldy hay, rotten tomatoes, an even some broken jars, all over the houses below it. Then, after passing over the town, the cart kept on flying, until it finally crashed deep in the Everfree Forest.

The four stood in silence as they all slowly looked over the damage caused to the town. Luckily, nothing had been destroyed, nopony had been hurt, and the mess would be… easy enough to clean up.

"What the hay happened here?" A voice said behind them, breaking the silence.

Everypony turned around to see a cyan pony, with a rainbow mane, standing slack jawed, looking at the town. However, upon noticing the house made of clouds covered in garbage, her mood went from shocked, to angry.

"Well?" She asked.

"Well Rainbow," Spike said smiling. "That was Alex! There was a cart headed down the hill toward Big Mac, and he saved him by stopping the cart with his magic!" He beamed, not realizing that this was just making Rainbow Dash angrier. "But, he's not so good at controlling it yet, so, after he saved Big Mac, he lost control of his magic, and ended up throwing the wagon across the whole town! Pretty funny huh?"

At this point, Dash was staring daggers at Alex. He could almost see the air puffing out of her nostrils. "Oh yeah," She said sarcastically, "It really is funny how he covered half the town in garbage. But, do you want to know the best part?" She said, looking at Spike briefly, then at Alex.

"Which part?" Spike asked excitedly, clearly not getting her sarcasm.

"The best part is my house." Rainbow said pointing a hoof toward a floating house in the sky, made of clouds.

Alex cringed at the sight. This house had been hit badly. It was absolutely littered with the trash. This was not going to help with the 'her disliking him' situation.

"Listen, I…" Alex tried to say, but was cut off before he could continue.

"I don't wanna hear it!" Rainbow dash said annoyed, "If you don't know how to control magic, then don't use it! Especially when it could get someponies house covered in TRASH!" She shouted at him.

At this point, Big Macintosh still dressed in his girdle stepped forward. "Now wait one second Rainbow Dash." He said sternly to her, "Alex was just tryin' to help me out, if I had been payin' more attention, none of this would have happened." He said, trying to take some of the flak off of Alex.

"It's my fault too!" The owner of the wagon piped up, "I was using an old harness that broke, causing all of this to happen!"

"Yeah!" Spike said, "And I… Uh..." Spike tried to think of a reason it was his fault, but couldn't find one. "Oh, never mind." He said kicking a rock on the ground.

Dash growled. She didn't like losing anything. Even an argument. But, she knew she was just a bit too mad, and wouldn't be this worked up about it later. "Fine…" She said, "If you'll excuse me, I have a house to go clean." She then flew straight up, and started flying toward her house.

Alex sighed. "I don't think that pony's ever going to like me…"

"Don't worry 'bout her" Big Mac said to Alex. "I'm sure you two will work your issues out." He said comfortingly. "Anyways, I'd best be heading back to the farm. I was supposed to walk all the way down Stirrup Street in this girdle, but I figure halfway is good enough." He said in his usual slow tone. "Oh, and thanks for helpin' me out. If that cart had hit me, I'd have been out of commission for Apple Buck season, leavin' all the work for my sister... And I KNOW that wouldn't have ended well." He chuckled.

Suddenly realizing why he had sought Big Mac in the first place, Alex quickly asked, "Have you seen Twilight around? We've been out looking for her."

"Eeyup." Big Mac nodded "She was talkin' to Applejack in the orchard. You could go check there." He suggested.

Alex let Spike hop up on his back, and was just about ready to take off, when he realized he didn't know how to get there. "Uhh…" He said turning to Big Mac.

Big Macintosh simply pointed a hoof toward an open field. "That'll get you there fastest. Just keep headin' straight." He said.

"Thanks!" Alex said running toward the field. "Oh! And I'm sorry about your cart!" He shouted over his shoulder to the mare.

"Don't worry about it! I need a new one anyway!" She called back smiling, just in time for Alex to disappear into the orchard at the other side of the clearing.

* * *

Alex and Spike had been in the orchard for a few minutes now, and had slowed to a walk, to make sure they didn't miss the two ponies they were looking for. However, this path Big Mac had given them wasn't the main road, so Alex knew that Twilight could be long gone, and she wouldn't have passed them on her way out.

"I can't wait to tell Twilight about what you did!" Spike said, rolling around on Alex's back in laughter.

"Yeah… Me neither." Alex said, still embarrassed over everything.

"So, why was Big Macintosh wearing that outfit?" Spike asked, calming down.

"I don't know. We'll have to ask Applejack when we find her." Alex said back.

"Ask Applejack what?" A voice came from behind them.

Alex and Spike jumped, surprised at her sudden appearance.

"I'm just sneakin' up on everypony today!" Applejack said laughing, "What can I do ya for?" She asked the two.

"We're looking for Twilight!" Spike said, "Big Macintosh told us she was here!"

"Y'all saw Big Mac?" Applejack said, getting excited. "How'd he look?" She asked, waiting for them to start laughing.

"Oh, funny." Alex said, not giving her the reaction she wanted. "We were kinda… preoccupied." He said slowly, thinking back to the garbage wagon. "Ask him when he gets back to explain." Alex suggested. "So… Where's Twilight? We've been looking all over for her."

"Twilight left a while ago to go see Rarity." Applejack answered. "She was askin' me 'bout the Grand Galloping Gala, then just up and left." Applejack said scratching her head. "It was the darndest thing."

"She's headed to see Rarity?" Spike said excitedly, standing up on Alex's back.

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack said smiling at the baby dragon's excitement.

"Come on Alex! Let's go!" Spike said pulling his hind leg back toward the town.

"Alright, thanks Applejack." Alex said, laughing at Spikes reaction as well, as he was pulled away from her by the dragon.

"Y'all take care now!" Applejack said, as the two left, as quickly as they had come.

Watching them head off back to town, she sighed, "I can't believe that they weren't laughing at Big Mac…"


	4. The Ticket Master Part 2

Chapter 3

The Ticket Master – Part 2

* * *

Alex couldn't help but cringe at the mess that he had been walking through on his way to Rarity's house. He could have sworn that there hadn't been this much garbage in the wagon. But, it seemed that every few steps he took, he had to avoid one kind of slop or another. However, he was thankful that no one knew who was responsible… yet.

After a small trip through the garbage filled town, Spike and Alex finally arrived at the Carrousel Boutique, the home of Rarity.

"We're here!" Spike said, almost jumping off of Alex's back in excitement. "Do you think she'll be happy to see me?" He asked, smiling.

"I'm sure she will be." Alex replied thinking back to the last time he had seen this mare, at the party a week ago. She was the gorgeous white pony with the purple mane, and the very lady-like attitude. It was her that made him realize that he was attracted to the ponies in this world. Something he still couldn't help but be a tiny bit weirded out a by.

"Would you just LOOK at this mess!" An annoyed voice came from the back end of the house.

Following the voice, Alex and Spike walked around the house, to see a very frustrated Rarity cleaning up some of the garbage strewn across her back yard.

"Hey Rarity!" Spike called, jumping off of Alex's back.

Upon hearing Spike, Rarity quickly changed her demeanor, not wanting to come off as unpleasant in front of her guests. Turning around, she faced Alex and Spike, and smiled charmingly. "My apologies for that very unladylike outburst, I wasn't expecting anypony," She said to the two. "Are the two of you looking for something? Or did you just drop in for a visit?" She said winking at Spike.

Spike blushed, "We came to see you!" He said smiling at her, forgetting his original goal.

"That's sweet of you to say Spike, but something tells me you two are here because of Twilights little visit." Rarity said, starting to look confused. "Could you two tell me why she was so intent on figuring out why I'd like to go to the Gala?"

Alex shook his head, "It's… just a thing." He said, not wanting to get Twilight in trouble with her friends. "I don't mean to hold anything back from you, she'll just… tell you when she's ready" He said slowly.

"Well, far be it from me to pry… I do hope she's forthcoming with it soon though. Patience isn't my most becoming feature." Rarity said smiling.

"How long ago was she here?" Alex asked.

"Well… Twilight left about fifteen minutes before all this dreadful trash littered itself all over my lawn… So, that makes it about a half hour." Rarity said lifting a cloth off the ground with her magic, and wiping some garbage off the side of her house.

"Do you know where she was headed next by any chance?" Alex asked, watching Spike run over and start assisting her.

"I believe she said she was headed to Fluttershys cottage," Rarity told him, mouthing a quick 'thank you' to Spike for assisting her. "It's just outside of the town, on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest." She said, pointing a hoof toward the path leading into the middle of town. "Just follow that to the end, and you'll be there in no time, darling."

"Thanks!" Alex said to her, "Sorry about all the garbage though…"

"It's not as if it's your fault all this trash got spilt. So don't worry about a thing." Rarity assured him.

"Actually, Rarity…" Spike began.

"Whoa! Would you look at the time?" Alex said looking at an invisible wrist watch on his ankle. "Come on Spike, Time to go see Fluttershy!" He said laughing nervously then sticking his head under Spike and lifting him on to his back, not letting Spike finish his sentence.

"What? no! I want to stay here with Rarity!" Spike said desperately, reaching his arm out to Rarity.

"Sorry Spike," Alex said as he started heading away from Rarity. "We've gotta make sure that we catch up with Twilight. And, without you, I won't be able to find my way around! You don't want me getting lost, do you?"

Rarity giggled at the exchange between the two, "Off you go, Spike! You can visit after you find Twilight." She said smiling at him.

"Oh… Okay…" Spike said a little dejectedly. But he quickly perked up at the thought of being able to come back. "Well then… We'd better hurry up! Allons-y, Alex!" He said sitting up straight on Alex's back, and pointing his claw forward.

"Thanks for the help Rarity!" Alex said running toward the path she had given them.

"You're most welcome!" She said, only increasing her volume enough to be heard. "I hope I see you two again soon!" She said as they headed back into town, "I know I'll be seeing at least one of you soon." She said to herself, smiling.

* * *

After leaving Fluttershy's cottage, Twilight moved on to Pinkie Pie. Because of her particular path, she had yet to be aware of the garbage covering the town.

Walking down the road, Twilight couldn't help but be nervous. A couple of hours ago, this plan of hers seemed foolproof. But, after hearing her last 3 friends' reasons for going to the Gala, she knew that the decision was going to be a difficult one. But, she was hoping that Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash might give her an extraordinary reason to choose one of them over everypony else. But somehow, she just wasn't confidant in that happening.

Walking through the door to Sugarcube Corner, Twilight was quickly greeted by one of the owners of the shop, and Pinkies landlord, Mr. Cake.

"Hello Mr. Cake! Is Pinkie Pie home?" Twilight asked the thin yellow pony, with the orange mane, and freckled nose.

"I believe so…" Mr. Cake said looking at the stairs beside Twilight. "It's hard to tell with that filly sometimes. She can up and vanish without anypony seeing her leave."

"She's good at that." Twilight replied laughing, "Mind if I head up and take a look in her room?"

"Nope, Not at all." Mr. Cake said with a smile.

"Thanks!" Twilight said with a smile as she headed up.

Walking down the hall toward Pinkies door, Twilight noticed that it was open a crack. Nudging the door open with her head, she walked into the room and was a little surprised, and very confused at what Pinkie was doing.

Sitting on the other side of the room, Pinkie was rapidly running her tongue over her hoof, as if something was on it. Even after she noticed Twilight, she still continued.

"Pinkie… What are you doing?" Twilight asked, slightly worried at what the answer would be.

However, instead of answering her question, Pinkie simply stopped licking her hoof for a moment, then said something completely unrelated. "Did you know cotton candy is pink, Twilight?" She said with a bright smile.

"Um… Yes?" Twilight said, cocking an eyebrow. "So… You think you taste like cotton candy? Because… you're pink?" Twilight said trying to work it all out in her head.

"Of course not!" Pinkie said giggling. "Just because I'm Pink, doesn't mean I'm made of cotton candy silly!" She giggled, "How did you like the cake I made for Alex?"

"It was delicious!" Twilight said, happy to be moving on from the cotton candy subject. "Right… Well, I wanted to ask you a question!" She said to the pony that had now stopped tasting her hoof.

"Sure!" Pinkie said, "I love questions!"

"Well… What do you think of the Grand Galloping Gala?" Twilight asked, slowly working her way to asking her for her reason to go.

Pinkie gasped, inhaling enough air to cause her body to physically expand, and make her eyes cross. "It's the most amazing incredible tremendous super-fun wonderful terrifically humongous party in all of Equestria! I've ALWAYS wanted to go!"

"Well…" Twilight began, "What would you do if you had the chance to go?"

Pinkie then proceeded to talk Twilight's ear off, about every single thing she would do if she had the chance to go.

* * *

Alex and Spike were feeling defeated after finding out that they had missed Twilight, yet again.

"I'm sorry…" Fluttershy said quietly. "She left almost twenty minutes ago."

"That's alright Fluttershy," Alex said in a soft tone, being careful not to upset her. "Do you know where she's headed next by any chance?" He asked.

"She's going to see Pinkie…" Fluttershy said quietly again. "Do you know the way to Sugarcube Corner Spike?" she asked him, having an easier time talking to the baby dragon.

"Yup!" Spike said proudly. "I'll get us there in a jiff!"

Alex couldn't help but be a bit embarrassed. He didn't have the slightest clue how to get from one place to another in this town. The last week for him had pretty much been all sleeping and little else. He hadn't really been up and about besides the odd trip to the market, or to a restaurant with Twilight and Spike. The rest of his time had been spent reading up on portals and other dimensions.

But, at least after this search for Twilight was over, he would have a good grasp on the layout of the town. He wished that he knew how to fly, since it would have made this search so much easier.

"Um, Fluttershy… Can I ask you something?" Alex began slowly, getting an idea in his head. "By any chance… could you teach me how to fly?" He said looking at his wings, then back to her.

"Oh, my…" Fluttershy began, immediately getting quieter. "I don't think I'm the best pony for the job… I think you should ask Rainbow Dash… If that's okay…"

Alex sighed, he had expected this. Twilight had told him that learning to fly was something a Pegasi learned as they grew up, and that it was difficult to learn later in life. But, if he did want to learn, Rainbow Dash would be the best pony around to help him. Unfortunately, he and Rainbow Dash weren't exactly on good terms.

"Alright, thanks anyway," Alex said with a smile. "You ready to keep being my guide Spike?"

"Of course!" Spike said. "We've gotta hurry so I can get back and see Rarity!"

Alex and Fluttershy looked at each other and laughed at the young dragon's vigor.

"Well, we'd better get going then!" Alex said, still grinning.

"Thanks for helping us Fluttershy!" Spike said smiling.

Fluttershy simply smiled and nodded, as the two headed off back to town.

* * *

"I hope we didn't miss her this time…" Alex said to Spike as the two walked up to Sugarcube Corner.

"Oh, don't worry." Spike said reassuringly. "Even if we did miss her, there's only one other place she has to go."

Alex sighed. "That's what I'm worried about." Knowing Rainbow Dash was last in line.

Opening the door to Sugarcube Corner, The two walked in to the store, and were greeted with Pinkie Pie behind the counter, rapid licking her hoof.

Spike opened his mouth to ask her if they had missed Twilight, but closed it when he noticed what she was doing.

"Hey Pinkie…" Alex said, with a confused look on his face. "Whatcha doin' there?"

"Hey Guys!" Pinkie said excitedly, stopping her licking. "Did you know cotton candy is pink?"

Alex looked at her in confusion. Did she taste like cotton candy because she was pink? He still didn't know a lot about this world, but if that was the case, it would be awesome.

"Pinkie… Do you taste like cotton candy?" Alex asked, completely serious.

Spike and Pinkie both looked at him silently for a moment, then, they both burst into laughter.

"…Never mind." Alex said, feeling like an idiot, and still not understanding why she had been licking herself in the first place.

"Is Twilight still here?" Spike asked after finally composing himself.

"Nope!" Pinkie said wiping a tear from her eye. "She went to see Rainbow Dash!"

Alex and Spike both sighed.

"But she just left," Pinkie said, "You might be able to catch up with her if you hurry! She still has to go ALL the way to Stirrup Street!" She explained, "You can get there by…"

"Oh, we know how to get there…" Alex said recognizing the name of the road. He suddenly realized that if Twilight had taken the same path as him and Spike, she wouldn't have seen the mess he made yet. "We'd better get going." He said, wanting to catch up so he could explain before somepony else told her what he did.

"Okie dokie Lokie!" Pinkie said smiling, and waving goodbye.

Alex left the shop with Spike riding on his back. As soon as the two were out the door, Alex got himself into full gallop. Luckily, he knew the way to Stirrup Street from here, so he could get there quickly. But, in his haste, Alex failed to notice the three ponies coming from Fluttershy's cottage, who were intent on finding out why Twilight had been asking them about the Gala.

* * *

Twilight walked through the town with her head hung low. Her plan was a bust… Everypony had given her a pretty good reason to attend the Gala, and she expected no less from Rainbow Dash. How could she tell Rarity that Applejack making money was more important than her finding her true love? Or tell Pinkie that Fluttershy deserved to see the gardens more than she deserved to party? Even if she gave up her own ticket, that would still leave three unhappy ponies. "Oh well… Still one pony to go." She said as she started walking down a hill. Inhaling deeply, Twilight was quickly snapped out of her train of thought.

Something stunk.

Looking up, Twilight was shocked to see a very dirty Ponyville below her, at the bottom of the hill. More ponies than she could count were out cleaning the mess up. Looking up, she saw Rainbow Dash flying around the outside of her house, cleaning some filth off her house.

"Hey Rainbow Dash!" Twilight shouted to the Pegasus pony, who was now turned and facing her. "What happened here?"

"What happened here?" Rainbow Dash said in a sarcastic tone, approaching Twilight. "You don't know who did this?"

"No," Twilight said, confused. "Who was it?"

"It was…" Dash began.

"It was me." A voice came from behind Twilight.

Twilight turned around, and saw Alex with Spike on his back.

"I did all this..." Alex said looking at the ground avoiding eye contact. "I didn't mean to! It just… Kinda happened…"

Twilight looked at him, unsure of what to say. "How… How did you do this?"

"He was being a hero!" Spike cut in, standing up on Alex's back.

"Spike, I don't think that's the right word…" Alex said, before getting cut off by Spike.

"An out of control garbage wagon started rolling down this hill, threatening everypony at the bottom!" Spike began, trying to make the story as exciting as possible. "When Big Macintosh saw this, he threw himself in front of the wagon to stop it before it hurt anypony!" He said, continuing to embellish the story.

"Okay…" Twilight cut in, "How did it end up covering half the town in garbage then?"

"Well… When Alex saw the wagon headed for Big Mac, he used his magic, and stopped it before it hit him!"

This confused Twilight further, "What do you mean he used magic? He couldn't possibly…"

Spike continued, cutting Twilight off, "But, when Alex tried to bring the wagon back to the top of the hill, he lost control! And the wagon got sent flying over the town, and it spilt everything on the way!" He said, excitedly, as he replayed the whole event in his head.

"Okay Spike," Twilight said to him, "just slow down for a minute." She needed a second to understand this. Doing something like this would take a tremendous amount of power, how could Alex have done this?

"Is this true?" Twilight asked him.

"Yeah…" Alex said, worried that this might upset her. "I stopped the wagon from hitting Big Macintosh, but, I couldn't control the magic. The wagon ended up flying straight up the hill toward us, so, in a panic, I sent the wagon flying… Covering the entire town in trash… the wagon ended up somewhere in the Everfree Forest."

Twilight stood there, astonished. She couldn't believe that he had been able to do this. In a single day, he went from never using magic, to being able to lift things, to being able to launch them miles away. Alex was going to be able to get himself home in mere months. And, as much as she should have scolded him for using magic that could have gotten somepony hurt, she just couldn't do it. After all, he HAD saved Big Macintosh.

"Well?" Rainbow Dash said impatiently, "Aren't you gonna yell at him?"

"No Dash…" Twilight answered her softly, "If he saved somepony, I think we can skip the yelling."

Rainbow Dash groaned, "Fine, whatever." She said, secretly agreeing with her. "You're off the hook this time! Don't think this means I forgive you though!" She said to Alex, then turning back to Twilight and smiling. "So what did you come to see me for?" Dash asked her.

"Oh!" Twilight said "I wanted to ask you what you would do if…"

"Twilight," Alex said before she was able to finish. "This idea of yours… It isn't a good one."

Twilight turned to him and sighed, he was right, after all. "I know…" She began slowly, "But… I don't know what else to do! I can only pick one pony! And then, after that, everypony will think that I like that pony more than them! And I don't want to do that, because everypony is important to me! I don't know what to do! She said starting to sound frantic, as her eyes starting to tear up, and she lowered her head to the ground.

"Listen, Twilight," Alex said comfortingly "If you can't take everypony, then maybe you shouldn't take ANYpony." He said, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

He was right. That was her way out. Looking up to him, she smiled, and wiped a tear from her eye. "You're right…" She said starting to smile. "Spike, please take a note." She said, her voice cracking slightly.

Pulling a piece of paper and quill out of seemingly nowhere, Spike waited for her to tell him what to write.

"Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight started, "I've learned that having to choose between your friends can leave you, and your friends feeling pretty awful. A pony should never be in a position where she can leave her friends feeling unimportant. So, before I have to make a choice I have no wish to make, I'd like to return the two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala."

"You had two tickets to the Gala?" Dash said shocked, "And you're just gonna send them back?"

"I'm sorry Rainbow, but I don't want to have to choose between anypony. And if I can't take everypony, then I don't want to go either." Twilight explained.

Dash sighed, she was right. It wouldn't be fair. "Okay, but… are you sure you don't just want to give me one, and send the other back?" Dash asked hopefully. But, Twilight simply shook her head. "Alright… Just askin'…"

Taking the letter from Spike with her magic, Twilight wrote something extra on the bottom of the note, then rolled the scroll up, and placed the two tickets inside.

"Okay Spike," She said, happy to be rid of the burden, "Send it."

Taking the scroll from Twilight, Spike inhaled, and then blew green fire at the letter, turning it into a wisp of magic, that floated off toward Canterlot.

"Hey Twilight!" Pinkie called from the top of the hill, hopping down toward them. Behind her, were Applejack , Rarity, and Fluttershy.

"What are you guys doing here?" Alex asked them.

"We're here to ask Twilight about all this Gala Business." Rarity said.

"Yeah!" Pinkie chirped in.

"If you don't mind…" Fluttershy added quietly.

"It's not like you to be beatin' around the bush with us, Twi!" Applejack added.

"Oh… Well… You see…" Twilight started, knowing they wouldn't like her explanation.

But, Before Twilight could start explaining herself, Spike cut her off, making a loud 'urk' noise, which was followed by him burping out a scroll that landed on the ground in front of him.

Lifting the scroll of the ground, Twilight opened it and read what Princess Celestia had to say. She immediately lit up.

"Well Twilight?" Rarity asked again.

"I was asking because I had five extra tickets to the Gala." Twilight said beaming.

Alex and Spike both took a step back, as the group of girls started screaming, cheering, hugging, thanking, and even some squealing. Something neither of them particularly wanted to get stuck in the middle of.

"Yuck." Spike said loudly, enough for all the ponies to hear him. But, they simply ignored him.

After the long slew of thank you's, ohmygosh's, and Pinkie's excited singing, the group finally calmed down.

"Come on everypony!" Pinkie said throwing her arms in the air. "This calls for a party!"

The six girls all cheered and started following Pinkie back to Sugarcube corner, leaving Alex and Spike alone on the hill.

"You know…" Alex started slowly, "That Gala actually sounded like it would have been fun to go to…"

"Yeah…" Spike agreed. "I kinda wish that we… urk" He burped again, and another scroll landed on the ground. Picking it up, he read the text out loud. "And one for Spike and Alex" He said as he pulled two tickets out of the letter and looked at Alex. The two then proceeded to jump around and cheer, just as the girls had. But, they were cut off from their celebrating when they heard laughing coming from the top of the hill from the six girls.

"Oh…" Alex said blushing with embarrassment. "I mean… yuck!"

"Yeah!" Spike said, quickly acting grossed out. "But I guess we have to go, since we got invited!"

"Yup," Alex agreed. "Nothing we can do!"

The girls laughed at the lame attempt to cover up their excitement, then started telling them to hurry up, so they could go party. The boys quickly headed up to join them, at which point, they all headed off to Pinkies house to celebrate.


	5. Applebuck Season Part 1

Chapter 4

Applebuck Season – Part 1

* * *

Applejack stood on a hill, overlooking Sweet Apple Acres. Next to her, was her brother, Big Macintosh. The two had been getting ready for their biggest harvest for weeks, and the time was finally here.

Applebuck season

"Boy howdy!" Applejack said, looking over the massive orchard in front of her, "We've got our work cut out for us! That there's the biggest bumper crop a apples I ever laid eyes on" Applejack said, eagerly awaiting the challenge.

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh began, "It's a good thing I wasn't hurt by that cart." He said, thinking back to the week before, and the garbage wagon incident. "I can't even begin to think how crazy things would have been if I had been hurt, and wasn't able to help with the harvest."

Applejack frowned, not happy with her brother's lack of faith in her. "Well, I guess we'll never know," She said, confidant that it wouldn't have been a problem, "But I'm sure it would have been fine."

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh said, rolling his eyes at his sister's arrogance.

"Come on, big brother," Applejack said approaching the orchard, moving past their little disagreement. "Let's get started." She said with a smile.

* * *

Alex, Twilight, and Spike, walked through the marketplace in town, finishing one of her usual long to-do lists. The group had been at it for hours, and as a result, Alex and Spike were exhausted, while Twilight kept moving, showing no sign of slowing down.

"Alright…" Twilight said, muttering to herself. "Check. Check. Check," She continued, looking down the list. "I guess that's everything!" She said smiling.

"Great!" Alex said, looking in has saddlebag at the various items that had been purchased. "Does that mean we're headed back now?" He asked, sounding like he was going to fall asleep at any moment.

Twilight smiled. "Sure, if you want to skip the trip to Sugarcube Corner, we can head back now." She said, waiting for his usual response.

"Oh!" Alex said, suddenly feeling awake and craving a cupcake. "Um, we don't need to skip that trip!" He said, trying to sound as casual about it as possible. "I'm in no hurry to get back! I just wanted to… Read a book!"

Spike and Twilight giggled his lame cover-up. Alex was absolutely in love with the sweets in this world, and the two loved to tease him about it. He didn't mind though, as the teasing usually ended with a trip to Sugarcube Corner.

"Alright, let's head over…" Twilight began, being cut off by a slight vibration in the ground.

Alex looked down at the ground, then over to a café table not far away, where he could see a glass of water vibrating. He couldn't help but laugh at the cliché moment.

"Stampede!" Everypony heard Rainbow Dash call from the sky.

The vibration started to grow stronger and stronger, until a large group of cows were visible on the horizon, headed straight for the town. As they grew closer, the shaking of the entire town grew stronger.

"HhHeEeYyY!" Pinkie said, grabbing Alex's attention with the strangeness in her voice. TtTtHhHhIiIiSsSs mMmMaAaAkKkeEesS MmMyY VvVoOoiIicCcCEeEe SsSoOouUunNndDd sSsiIilLlLlLyYy!" She said, as her voice reverberated from the quaking.

"Pinkie!" Alex called to her, "I don't really think this is the time!" he shouted over the yelling of the other ponies.

"Everypony calm down!" The Mayor of Ponyville called to the panicking ponies.

"But Mayor," Rarity said dramatically. "What ever shall we do?"

"Look there!" Rainbow Dash called, pointing a hoof toward the stampede.

Quickly moving toward the stampeding cows, everypony saw Applejack and Big Macintosh preparing to herd the cattle away from the town.

"You know what to do Big Mac!" Applejack shouted to her brother, who was on the opposite side of the stampede.

The two quickly went to work. Big Macintosh ran up to the front of the stampede and moved beside the cow in front. He quickly got himself into the position he needed to be in to help Applejack when she got herself into place.

Making sure that there were no stray cows, Applejack lined herself up, and then jumped onto the back of a cow. Pulling out her lasso, she threw the rope around the cow in the front of the pack.

Knowing this was his cue; Big Macintosh pushed himself into the side of the leading cow, as Applejack pulled in the same direction with her lasso. However, this didn't go the way they had expected. The two ended up using a little too much force, which caused the cow at the front of the herd to lose her balance, and collapse.

The next fifteen seconds were udder chaos. Cow after cow tripped over one another, causing the ground to shake even more violently than it had before.

Unfortunately, in all of the craziness, Applejack didn't have enough time to get herself clear of the collapsing herd, and ended up having her back left leg landed on. It was the single most painful thing she had ever experienced. It was even painful enough that she started losing consciousness. But, it was still worth it. Ponyville was safe, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

A couple hours later…

* * *

"Applejack…" A voice called to her from a distance. "Applejack…" It called again, getting closer to her. "Applejack!"

Opening her eyes, Applejack found herself in the hospital, with a doctor. She couldn't remember for the life of her why she was here. "What happened?" She asked, still a little groggy.

"There was an accident with a stampede a few hours ago," He explained, expecting her to have a foggy memory at first. "One of the cows landed on your leg during their collapse. You had several fractures because of it."

Now she remembered.

"What happened?" Applejack asked quickly, "Is everypony okay?"

"You were the only pony who got hurt in the stampede." He explained to her, much to her relief.

Sitting up, she looked at her leg; it wasn't too bad. She assumed they had already used magic to fix most of the damage. It was however, still bruised, and giving off a dull ache. She knew what this meant, unfortunately.

"Now, I want you to stay off that leg for a while," He said to her sternly. "Your friends told me that you're in the middle of a very busy harvest. So, I checked with your brother, and he told me he'd be able to handle it on his own."

"Why of all the…!" Applejack stopped herself, before she started shouting. She couldn't believe that he didn't think she'd be able to do it on her own, but he thought that HE could. "So…" She said, calming herself down, "How long am I stuck here?"

"You can go right now." He said to her, "But you have to promise me that you`ll be easy on that leg. It won`t be able to take much stress."

Applejack smiled; at least she wouldn't be stuck here. She knew she'd go crazy. Slowly getting herself out of the bed, she winced as her back leg touched the floor. Hopefully that would go away soon.

"Now Applejack," the doctor said to her, "Be careful."

"Yessir." She said to him as she walked toward the door of the room. "Thanks again."

He simply nodded as she left the room.

As Applejack made her way out of the hospital, she couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. She knew nopony would tell her she did a bad job or anything, but she still didn't like that she wasn't able to do a better job.

"I hope today doesn't get any worse." Applejack said out loud, to herself.

"Just as long as we don't end up on the moon, right?" A brown pony with a black mane said to her in what she thought was a Trottingham accent.

"What about the moon?" Applejack asked completely confused, and a little startled at the pony that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Oh… You probably wouldn't know…" He said slowly, "It was… just a thing… On the moon… With-a-Plasmavore" He finished quickly. "Applejack was it? Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor." He said extending a hoof.

"Doctor… Who?" Applejack asked extending hers to meet his, while waiting for his name. However, after the shake, he simply winked at her, and turned the corner and headed off in another direction.

Applejack frowned at the odd encounter, but moved on. She may have been out cold for the past few hours, but she felt completely exhausted.

Opening the front door, Applejack was surprised to see a crowd of ponies gathered in front of the hospital, cheering for her as she walked out. She couldn't help but blush at the attention she was receiving, it was at this point that she stopped being embarrassed, and allowed herself to feel a little proud for what she had done.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Alex were all at the front of the crowd, trying their best to show her their support.

As Applejack walked toward the crowd, everypony started to cheer louder. She felt like she was going to start tearing up. But, she quickly stopped herself. Not wanting to look like her leg was causing the tears.

After a couple minutes of everypony thanking her, and telling her to get well, the crowd started to disperse, leaving only the main group there with Applejack.

Twilight took a couple steps forward to meet Applejack halfway. "How're you feeling AJ?" She asked the slightly limping pony.

"I'm fine," Applejack replied with a smile. "Just a bit sore"

"You did a great job!" Spike said.

"It was the best rodeo show I've ever seen!" Pinkie told her.

"Things could have ended so badly…" Fluttershy added.

"You were marvelous darling!" Rarity said.

"I couldn't have done it better myself!" Rainbow Dash admitted.

"That was… just… Awesome." Alex finished simply.

After everypony had their chance to congratulate her, Twilight finally spoke up. "Well, you need to make sure you rest." She said, "Big Mac said he could handle the Applebucking, so you could heal properly."

Applejack frowned, she wasn't sure if he WOULD be able to do it. But, worst case scenario, he wouldn't finish in time, and she would have to go out there herself and get it finished. Which wouldn't be the end of the world. So, she decided to let Big Mac try his best. After all…

What was the worst thing that could happen?

* * *

**Yes. I said Udder Chaos.**


	6. Applebuck Season Part 2

Chapter 5

Applebuck Season – Part 2

* * *

Alex and Spike walked down the street to Sweet Apples Acres. The two had been tasked with checking up on Big Macintosh for Applejack.

Since Applejack had hurt her leg a few days ago, she had been staying with Twilight and Alex in the Library. Twilight had promised to help nurse Applejack back to health with some spells she knew.

At first, Applejack had been wary of staying away from the orchard. But, since she had promised to help her friends with some jobs around town, and walking back and forth between the farm and the town would have been extremely difficult, she decided to stay in the library.

However, being away from the farm kept her from knowing how the applebucking was going; so, she sent Alex and Spike out to check up on Big Mac. He had been so busy the harvest, he hadn't had the time to go see her in town either.

"Do you see him anywhere?" Alex asked Spike, who was standing up on his back, trying to see though the orchard.

"Nope," Spike said, scratching his head. "All I see are a bunch of bucked trees!"

Alex had been looking himself, but had no luck either. They knew where Big Macintosh had been, by simply following the trees that were missing apples. Unfortunately, most trees had already been bucked, which left them with lots of paths, and lots of ground to cover.

After nearly a half hour of searching, the two finally spotted a red pony on the ground, a short distance away. Quickly heading over to check on him, the two were surprised to see Big Mac collapsed on the ground, fast asleep.

Alex and Spike looked at each other, then back at the sleeping Big Mac. "Uhh, Big Macintosh?" Alex said to the sleeping pony. "We just came to check up on you! To make sure everything was… Going… Well…" He finished slowly.

"I don't think he's gonna answer you…" Spike said to him. "It looks to me like he's bucked himself out cold."

"Yeah…" Alex said thinking about all the work Big Macintosh must have done. They had passed hundreds of trees that had all been bucked. And he was the only one who had been doing it. "If he's done all this, then I really can't blame him for being this tired."

"Without Applejack, I guess it's been too much work for him." Spike agreed.

Looking around the orchard, Alex was surprised to see just how little was left to do. The small corner that Big Mac was passed out in was the last chunk of the orchard. There wasn't much work left to be done, which gave Alex an idea. "Hey Spike, what do you say if you and me finish up this work for him?" He asked the dragon.

Spike liked the idea, "After all those two did for the town, it's the least we could do!" He said smiling. "We can finish this up as a 'thank you' for saving the town!"

"Yeah!" Alex said, "After all, how hard could it possibly be?"

He'd live to regret those words.

* * *

Applejack walked down the street to where she was asked to meet Rainbow Dash. Apparently she was needed to help her pull off a new trick. Her leg was still bugging her a bit, so she hoped that Rainbow didn't have anything too 'extreme' lined up for her.

"Hey Applejack!" Rainbow Dash called to her with the usual squeaking in her voice.

"Howdy," Applejack said smiling, as she approached the cyan pony. "What can I do ya' for?"

Rainbow smiled, "You see this contraption behind me?" She said gesturing to the large seesaw looking contraption behind her.

Applejack nodded.

"Well…" She began, "I'm gonna stand on one end, then you're gonna jump down from that platform, launching me into the air faster than I can take off on my own. Once I'm in the air, I'm gonna do some amazing flips and spins that are sure to impress the Wonderbolts!" She said beaming at the thought.

"Isn't that a might' dangerous?" Applejack asked her.

"Not for a pony who can fly!" Rainbow Dash said, flaring her wings.

"Well… If you say so!" Applejack said trusting she knew what she was doing.

Applejack climbed to the top of the makeshift catapult, and lined herself up with the board that was just below her.

Rainbow Dash Waited in anticipation on the end of the plank that was touching the ground. However, remembering Applejacks injury, she quickly called out, "Wait! Is your leg still sore? Won't you hurt yourself?" She asked.

"Naw," Applejack replied. "I'll just make sure to land on my three good ones!" She said with a wink.

Accepting that this was a good enough reason, Rainbow readied herself for the launch. "Ready?" She asked, earning a nod from Applejack. Seeing this, she started her count. "One… Two… Three!" She shouted.

Hearing her cue, Applejack jumped off from her elevated position, on to the raised end of the seesaw. Her weight quickly lifted Rainbow Dash's side off the ground, launching her into the air successfully.

Once Rainbow Dash was in the air, she started to perform the tricks she had planned. She did flips, loops, and even a barrel roll.

Applejack couldn't help but be amazed at the Pegasus's skill. She didn't know a single pony who even had a fraction of her skill, save the Wonderbolts.

When Rainbow finally finished her routine, she started gunning straight down toward the ground as fast as she possibly could. Then, a split second before hitting the surface, she opened her wings, and gave a powerful flap, and stopped herself an inch from the ground.

To Rainbow Dash's surprise, a small crowd had gathered to watch Rainbow do her stunts. And, upon her spectacular landing, everypony erupted in cheering.

Applejack was happy to see Rainbow getting cheered on by the ponies; however, one thing caught her eye. The pony from the hospital was standing in the crowd. He had a confused look on his face, like something was wrong with what Rainbow had been doing. But, after the moment of confusion, he headed off, leaving her to wonder what he had been so concerned about.

Rainbow couldn't help but blush; she hadn't expected this kind of reception. But, she was still happy to have the recognition. "Thanks everypony!" She said with a smile, having missed the confused pony.

Forgetting about the Doctor, Applejack smiled, she could tell that this was going to be a good day.

* * *

Alex sighed, after much focus and struggle, he had managed to lift Big Macintosh off the ground with his magic, and move him away from the last remaining trees in the orchard. Alex didn't want his and Spike's surprise to be spoiled by him waking up.

"Alright!" Spike said excitedly, as he dragged a couple baskets over to the tree that Alex was standing next too. "You ready to start applebucking?"

"Sure am!" Alex said with a smile, as he poised himself next to the tree, ready to fill the baskets that Spike was placing.

Spike carefully placed the baskets below the tree, then stood up and took a step back, so he could watch Alex.

Remembering how he had seen Applejack do this a few days before, he faced himself away from the tree, lifted his hind legs off the ground, then, he bucked his legs against the trunk of the apple tree. Upon doing this, Alex turned around to see how many apples he had knocked off the tree. However, he was disappointed to see that nothing had fallen. Turning to Spike, he gave the dragon a confused look, "Did I do something wrong?"

Spike simply shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think so… Everything looked good to me… Maybe you need to buck harder?"

Alex was surprised. He had hit the tree pretty hard. Maybe another kick would do it.

Alex lined himself up, and gave another powerful buck. But, to his dismay, nothing.

Spike walked over to the tree kicked the bottom of the trunk in frustration. Applejack made it look so easy! "I just… I don't get it!" He said angrily.

"How about this?" Alex said raising his front legs up, and shaking the trunk, trying to get the apples out that way. But still, absolutely nothing. This was a lot harder than it looked.

* * *

Applejack walked through the front door of Sugarcube corner with a bright smile on her face. Pinkie Pie had asked her to help run the shop, while Mr. and Mrs. Cake were out. Something that Applejack was more than happy to do.

"Now Pinkie Pie, are you sure you're up for baking the muffins and running the store this afternoon?" Mrs. Cake asked her, with a touch of worry in her voice.

"Yes siree bob, Mrs. Cake!" Pinkie replied with a smile "Plus, I have one of Ponyville's prized ponies here to help me out!" She continued, "Why, you're the best baker ever, right Applejack?" She said, as Applejack entered the room.

Applejack blushed lightly at the complement, "I can bake anything from fritters to pies in the blink of an eye!" She said confidently, easing the worry of the owners.

"Alright," Mrs. Cake said, happy to have Applejack there to help. "See you girls later!" She called as her and her husband walked out the front door of the bakery.

"Alrighty!" Pinkie said excitedly, pulling out a few mixing bowls, "I'll get the sugar and the eggs, can you get some chocolate chips?"

Applejack nodded, "Sure thing!"

The two proceeded to prepare enough muffins for the entire town. Applejack followed every one of Pinkies instructions, and even threw in a few 'secret' Apple family ingredients to make them even more irresistible. Then finally, after hours of work, the two got the muffins baked, and moved outside of the shop so they could give free samples to the ponies in town, who had started to gather around the sweet shop.

"Free muffin spectacular!" Pinkie called to the ponies gathered in front of the bakery.

"Eeyup," Applejack agreed, liking the name she had given it. "Free muffin spectacular!"

Applejack and was happy to see everypony enjoying the muffins she had made, but then something caught her eye. The Doctor was here again. Seeing that he didn't have a muffin, she decided to see if he wanted one.

"Hey, Doctor!" Applejack said, to the brown pony. "How'd you like one?"

"Oh!" He said, turning toward Applejack. "I'm not a big fan of worms actually."

Applejack wasn't sure how to respond to this. Luckily for her, he walked off in his own direction. "What a strange pony…" She muttered.

Besides the odd encounter, the rest of the sampling went well. Everypony loved the food, and complemented Applejack and Pinkie endlessly. And by the time they had all left the shop, the two girls were left feeling pretty good.

"That was great!" Pinkie said to Applejack, as the two started to clean up.

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack agreed. "We should do this again soon!"

"We should do this again soon!" Pinkie agreed happily. "How about tomorrow?"

Applejack laughed at her enthusiasm. "Maybe not THAT soon, Sugarcube."

* * *

"Anything?" Alex asked Spike, who was watching him buck the tree as hard and as fast as he could.

Spike was absolutely bewildered at the lack of movement in the top of the tree. Seeing that Alex had stopped his assault on the tree for the moment, he moved toward the trunk and looked up at the apples above him.

"Hey!" Spike said excitedly, "You got something off of it!"

"Really?" Alex asked excitedly as he moved toward Spike. However, he quickly saw what it was that had fallen out. A single leaf was drifting down from the top. "Great…" He said sighing and turning away, feeling completely beaten.

Spike watched the leaf float down form the top of the tree, until it landed on his nose. Unfortunately, he hadn't considered the possible hazards associated with doing this. "Aaaa choo!"

Spike sneezed.

"Gazuntite" Alex said immediately, still turned away from Spike.

"Uh… A… A… Alex…" Spike stammered, his eyes glued to the tree in front of him.

"Hm?" Alex said, still facing away.

"I… Uhh… Can… Please… Look!" Spike said, still unable to for coherent sentences.

Sighing, Alex turned around to see what had spooked Spike so much. Upon seeing the tree, he immediately understood. There was a fire. And it was spreading extremely fast.

"What happened?" Alex asked frantically.

"I… I sneezed!" Spike said desperately, "I didn't think about the fire!"

"Do you always sneeze fire?" Alex asked, increasing his volume as he went.

"Yes!" Spike shouted, increasing his volume as well.

"How often do you sneeze?" Alex shouted, getting even louder.

"Really often!" Spike answered, matching Alex's loud volume.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU THINK ABOUT IT?" Alex said, now passing the screaming level.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Spike screamed back.

Alex opened his mouth, but closed it before saying anything. He wasn't really angry, just panicked. The orchard was on fire, or, was soon to be on fire. So, he needed to put the fire out before it could spread to another tree.

"What should we do?" Spike said lowering his voice.

"Umm… I'm thinking!" Alex said, looking up at the tree that was now completely engulfed in flames on the top.

"Just… use magic or something!" Spike said desperately.

Alex had considered this, but wasn't sure it was possible. He had been practicing with Twilight quite a bit, and he could already levitate things with little problem, and he had even learned to make a basic force field. But how could he use either of those to fix this? The tree was rooted, so levitation wasn't an option, and the only force field he had been taught to use was the most basic kind. The most it could do was keep anything from getting into, or out of it.

Then, he suddenly had an idea. "I'm gonna try something Spike!"

Hearing this, Spike took a cautious step back, and watched as Alex pointed his horn toward the tree.

"Please work, please work, please work…" Alex repeated to himself as he focused his magic.

Finally, Alex managed to create the bubble around the tree. Then, instantly, the fire was gone, leaving only the black, charred, top chunk of the tree. So, Alex to let the force field disappear allowing all of the burned remains of the Apples and leaves fall to the ground.

"How did you do that?" Spike asked, with a mixture of relief and excitement on his face.

"That force field cut off the oxygen," Alex said, his voice still shaking from the excitement. "The fire couldn't breathe, so it died."

"Wow!" Spike said, "Good thinking!"

"Thanks." Alex said simply, then sitting down on the ground. "I think I've had enough Applebucking for today…"

"You said it!" Spike said, moving next to Alex, and sitting beside him.

"We should probably clean up first though…" Alex replied, looking around at the remains of the tree that littered the ground in front of them. "Yeah… Yeah we should…"

* * *

"Thank you so much…" Fluttershy said to Applejack, who had just finished corralling her bunnies in a small pen that had been made for them.

Applejack smiled, "It was no problem! I'll take herdin' bunnies over cows any day!"

Fluttershy giggled lightly at the comment. "So, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Applejack told her, lifting the wounded leg and giving it a shake.

"Thank goodness…" Fluttershy said quietly. "How has it been staying with Twilight and Alex?" She asked.

"Good!" Applejack replied with a smile. "I couldn't have asked for a better library to stay in."

"How's Big Macintosh been with the harvest?" Fluttershy asked.

"I sent Alex and Spike to check up on him for me." Applejack answered. "In fact, they aren't even back yet! I ought to go check up on him myself!" She said, getting excited at the thought.

"Oh… well, if you don't mind, could I come with you?" Fluttershy asked timidly, "I'm going to give these bunnies some time to calm down after being herded."

"Sure!" Applejack said, "Let's head over there right now."

Fluttershy simply nodded, then walked over to the baby bunnies in the pen, who were all huddled together, and shaking. "Don't worry little ones." She said in a comforting voice. "I'll be back soon. So try to relax for me, okay?"

Applejack was amazed to see the bunnies visibly calm down at Fluttershy's reassurance. She truly did have an amazing way with animals.

"Alright," Fluttershy said turning around to face Applejack, "I'm ready to go."

"Well alright then!" Applejack replied with a smile. "Let's go!"

* * *

"How does that look?" Spike asked Alex, who was standing a distance away from the tree they had almost burned down. They had cleaned up most of the burned stuff off the ground, and now Spike had been trying his best to make the tree look like nothing had happened to it, by placing leaves and apples from other trees on the burned carcass.

"It looks… Better?" Alex said, not really believing himself. As far as he could tell, the tree looked like someone had lit it on fire, then covered it in a handful of leaves, and a couple of apples. "Okay, scratch that." He said after a moment of silence, "It looks terrible."

Spike sighed. He knew fixing the tree was a futile effort. And he knew that he was going to get in trouble for it. Twilight was always telling him to be careful when he sneezed, and now this had happened. Everypony was going to be so mad at him… He couldn't help but let a few tears well in his eyes at the thought.

Seeing Spikes distress, Alex walked over to the baby dragon and nudged his back lightly of his head.

"You okay Spike?" Alex asked, figuring Spike was still overwhelmed by the fire, and was only just feeling the effects of it.

"N… No…" Spike stammered through the tears that had now started flowing. "E... Everypony's gonna be so mad at me!"

It took Alex a moment to understand what he was talking about, but he eventually understood what he meant. He hadn't even considered it, but, it made sense that Spike would be blamed for the fire. So, he got where his tears were coming from.

"A… And everypony will yell at me!" Spike said through the tears. "And then they'll all ignore me!"

Alex could clearly see that Spike was actually worried that this might happen, so, he decided to try and ease the dragons worries.

"Spike, listen." Alex began. "Nopony is going to ignore you. And I don't think that they'll really yell at you over a complete accident."

"But you yelled at me!" Spike said to Alex.

That was true. He had yelled when the fire started. But it wasn't really out of anger.

"Spike," Alex said, "I WAS yelling, but it wasn't at you," He explained, "I was just taken off guard by the fire. That's all."

"But… What about everypony else?" Spike asked.

"Even if they get a little upset, I don't think that they'll yell at you that much. And they definitely won't ignore you." Alex said. "It was an accident. I'll make sure they understand that."

"Really?" Spike asked quietly.

"Really really." Alex said to him with a soft smile.

"Thanks Alex." Spike said after a moment's pause. Then, wiping the tears from his face with his arm, he wrapping his arms around Alex's chest, and hugged him.

"Don't worry about it." Alex said smiling and lowering his head to rest his chin on the back of Spikes shoulder.

Alex was happy he could lighten Spikes spirits. Even if the dragon got in trouble with Twilight or Applejack, He would be there to cheer him up, no matter what.

Breaking away from the hug, Spike quickly said, "But don't tell anypony I was crying! I don't want Rarity to think I've gone soft!"

Alex was happy to see Spike getting back to his normal self. But, before he had a chance to promise to stay quiet, he was cut off.

"What in tarnation?" Applejacks voice called from behind them.

Alex and Spike both turned to see Applejack and Fluttershy standing behind them. Judgement day came sooner than they had thought.

"What's goin' on here?" Applejack asked, looking up at the charred remains of the apple tree.

Spike stepped forward to face Applejack, and decided to get it over with. "I… I… I…" He said, stammering once again.

Applejack waited for his explanation about the burned tree, expecting some extravagant story to be behind the fire starting. Maybe Spike kicked Alex, and made him shoot a laser beam out of his horn at the tree. Or maybe Spike got really angry at her, and breathed fire on the tree to get revenge.

"Me and Alex were going to get the last of the trees bucked as a 'thank you' for saving the town, but then… Then… Then… I sneezed!" Spike said finally, falling to the ground, apologizing as fast as he could.

As soon as Applejack heard this, she burst into laughter. "That it?" She managed to say between the snorts and the giggles. "Well shoot! I was worried you'd gone and set it on fire because I forgot your birthday or somethin'!"

"So… Wait…" Spike said slowly. "You're not mad at me for setting one of your trees on fire?"

"Of course not, Sugarcube!" Applejack said to him. "We've got plenty to spare!" She said gesturing to the orchard behind her.

Spike was relieved beyond words. He knew that Twilight would want to have a few words with him when they got home. But, he was feeling a lot better about it now than he was a couple of minutes ago.

Finally, after having a chance to calm down, she managed to ask the question she had come here for. "How's Big Mag been doing? I haven't seen him."

"Oh," Spike said glancing toward the sleeping Big Mac. "He fell asleep!"

To everypony's surprise, Applejack wasn't angry. She was smug. "Did he now?" She said, almost laughing. This was too good. After everything he had said to her about her not being able to do it, he was the one that fell asleep on the job. She wasn't going to let this on go anytime soon. "Where is he?" She asked.

Alex pointed a hoof in the direction of the sleeping pony, and watched as Applejack walked over to wake her brother.

Leaving over to Spike, Alex whispered in his ear, "I told you. Nothing to worry about."

"Thanks Alex." Spike said.

A few minutes passed, and finally Applejack returned, just in time for Fluttershy to disappear, off toward Big Macintosh herself.

"He's up now!" Applejack said with a sly smile. "And he's got more tree's to buck. So you two can head on back to the Library. And don't go sneezing on any trees on the way back" She said to Spike with a wink.

Alex was happy that Applejack wasn't mad at Spike. Things could have been much worse. And he was confident that she knew that too. So, she was letting them off the hook. Neither Alex, nor Spike could be happier with that kind of result.

But now, all that Alex knew, what that he was tired, and wanted to go home and get some sleep. However, he quickly changed his mind and decided to ask one thing before he took Spike back to the Library. The answer to the greatest mystery he had encountered in all of Equestria.

"Applejack?" Alex said. "Why the hay is Applebucking so hard?"

Applejack thought about the question, but didn't quite understand. "How many trees did you buck?" She asked him.

"None," Alex said flatly. "I bucked that one with all my might, but didn't get a single thing out of it… Besides a leaf."

Applejack laughed. "That was the only tree you bucked? Well..." She started, "We call this tree the leg breaker… There's only one in the whole orchard. She's stiffer than anything I know. An' the only way to get her apples, are to climb right up and pick them out."

Alex frowned. "Are you saying that for almost two hours, I bucked the one tree in the ENTIRE orchard that can't be bucked?"

" 'Fraid so, Sugarcube." Applejack said, trying not to laugh.

Alex sighed, then walked over to a tree next to the one he had been trying on. He raised his hind legs, then bucked the trunk. And, of course, the apples fell out.

"I think…" Alex began turning right around to face Applejack, "I think I want to go home, and get some sleep."

"Sure thing." Applejack said, trying not to burst out in laughter again.

Alex opened his mouth to say something, but one of the apples from the tree landed right on the top of his head, causing Spike and Applejack to start laughing, despite Applejacks efforts not to. Alex couldn't help but start laughing to. Today had been just crappy for him, but this was good. That was something he loved about this world. No matter how bad things seemed to get, it always ended with everypony happy.

He loved it here.


	7. Griffon the Brush Off

Chapter 6

Griffon the Brush off – Part 1

* * *

Alex walked down the street toward Sugarcube corner. He had been asked by Pinkie to come in and sample a new kind of cupcake she was making. And, being the pig that he was, he happily agreed. Opening the door to the shop, he noticed that all the lights were out, something that he wouldn't expect from this kind of place. Slowly walking up to the main counter, he rang the bell.

"Hello Alex!" Pinkie said, popping up from behind the counter with a strange smile on her face. "Would you like to try my new CUPCAKES?" She said loudly, her eyes momentarily pointing in opposite directions.

Alex looked at her nervously. "Uh… That's what I'm here for…" he said, no longer sure that he even wanted them.

Without another word, Pinkie pushed a cupcake from under the counter in front of Alex.

The cupcake before him was the single most beautiful looking thing he had ever seen. The bottom was made of chocolate cake, and the top was frosted with a large mound of rainbow frosting. And, to finish it all off, there was a cherry on the top of it all. All of his pervious worries about Pinkies attitude melted away as he lifted the cupcake off the counter with his magic, and brought it to his mouth. As he took the first bite, he couldn't believe how amazing it tasted. It was the single most delicious thing that he had ever tasted.

"What's in this?" Alex asked, eating the rest of the cupcake quickly. "It's the most delicious thing I've ever…" And with that, he collapsed unconscious.

* * *

Alex had been out cold for only a few minutes when he started to hear Pinkie laughing, causing him to stir.

What was she laughing about? What was in that cupcake?

Slowly opening his eyes, Alex found himself in a pitch black room. The only thing he could hear was Pinkie's laugh echoing through whatever the place was that she had him. It sounded really creepy.

"Pinkie?" Alex called to the darkness. "What's going on?"

"You want to know what's going on?" She said quietly. "Well… This is what's going on!"

All at once, the lights came back on. He was still in the main section of the shop. And behind the counter stood Pinkie, holding a mirror.

Looking in the mirror, Alex saw that Pinkie had drawn a mustache on his face in marker.

As soon as Pinkie saw him look at the moustache, she lost it, and fell over in a fit of giggles.

Alex couldn't help but laugh at this himself. Here she had gone through so much trouble, to draw this on his face. It seemed like a rather pointless prank, but, if she got this much enjoyment out of it, he wasn't about to point that out.

"I didn't think that you were the pranking type," Alex said to her, still giggling a bit.

"I Sure am!" Pinkie replied, "In fact, I had a great idea for a prank I was going to pull!"

"Oh?" Alex asked, hoping that he could get in on it, "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was going to get Rainbow Dash to help me move a cloud…"Pinkie began.

As soon as Alex heard the mention of Rainbow Dash, he immediately lost interest in helping Pinkie pull this prank. Ever since he had forgotten Rainbow's name when he had first arrived in Ponyville, she and him hadn't been on great terms. Then, of course, he had covered her house in garbage, which hadn't helped matters. Alex wished that he could patch things up between them; he just hadn't had the opportunity to have any kind of conversation with her.

"…and I hope that's going to scare him!" Pinkie finished, not realizing that Alex had barely heard a word she said.

"Sounds… Great!" Alex said slowly. "Anyway, you two have fun! I'd better head back to the library."

"Okie-Dokie-Loki!" Pinkie said with a smile.

Walking out of the bakery, Alex hoped that the short distance back to the library wouldn't have too many ponies on the way, as he was a bit embarrassed of his new, drawn on facial hair. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't the case. He got laughed at all the way back.

* * *

"I'm back!" Alex shouted as he walked through the door. "Twilight?" He called again, after receiving no response.

"She's out reading." Spike said, walking down the stairs with a couple of scrolls. "Whoa! Nice stache!" He said with a smile, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah," Alex said flatly, "You mind helping me get it off?"

"Sure." Spike said running to the kitchen and trading the scrolls for a damp cloth.

"Thanks." Alex said as Spike roughly pushed the cloth against Alex's face, wiping the drawn on moustache away.

After a few moments of scrubbing, the ink finally came off. Spike then put the cloth back in the kitchen, picked up the scrolls, and started gathering them from around the Library.

"What're you doing?" Alex asked him.

"I'm gathering up some scrolls that Twilight asked me to have mailed out." Spike explained. "I have a few I need to pick up and bring back as well."

"I thought you could send the scrolls away when you breathed fire on them." Alex said, slightly confused.

"I can send them to Princess Celestia, but that's it." Spike explained. "It's a magic link between us. But, for the rest of the time, we just use regular mail."

"Huh." Alex said simply. "You want some help?"

"Sure!" Spike said looking around the room for a moment. "Go grab that one and… that one" he said pointing to a couple different scrolls.

Alex nodded and grabbed the scrolls Spike had pointed out. After a few minutes of gathering, Alex was holding a large number of scrolls in the air with his magic, Proud that he was able to do it with no issue.

"You ready to go?" Spike asked him.

"I'm ready whenever you are." Alex said, looking at the scrolls above his head.

"Alright, let's go!"

* * *

"I hadn't expected there to be this many scrolls." Alex said, holding the new batch above his head.

"Twilight always reads this many." Spike said. "But now that we're not living in Canterlot, we have to have them shipped out to us."

"Huh," Alex said, as the two left the post office. The two walked a short distance away from the front door of the building, continuing their conversation, when suddenly, a loud crash of thunder from above them.

Alex immediately lost all control of his magic, and all of the scrolls he was levitating flew off in random directions.

Spike dropped the few he was carrying, and landed on the ground, starting to hiccup.

Alex was still confused as to what had happened. It was a bright sunny day! How could there be thunder like that? However, it all made sense when he heard Pinkie Pie's trademark laugh. It was a prank.

"Oh Rainbow Dash, we startled Spike into getting the hiccups!"

Looking up, Pinkie noticed that Rainbow Dash wasn't laughing. Upon seeing Alex, it seemed that her mood had been ruined.

The situation immediately became awkward, as nothing was said besides a few hiccups from Spike.

Looking over, Alex noticed that every time Spike hiccupped, a small flame came out of his mouth. So, he decided that he should stop him from picking up any scrolls to save them from being burned, as he was about to start gathering them.

"Here Spike, let me." Alex said, breaking the silence, and started to lift the scrolls up, one at a time.

Spike immediately stopped his attempt to pick up the scrolls and allowed Alex to do the gathering. Turning to Pinkie, Spike smiled and said, "Good one, Pinkie *hiccup* Pie. *hiccup* You're always pulling a fast one *hiccup* on me!"

"That fire doesn't hurt, does it?" Pinkie asked him.

"Na," Spike said, "dragons are fire proof."

"That's a relief!" Pinkie said, and then turning to Alex, "Sorry about the mess…"

"Don't worry about it," Alex said with a smile. "You guys got us pretty good." He said looking up at Dash and smiling.

Rainbow scoffed at this comment. Alex didn't need to be friendly to her, she certainly didn't expect it.

"Anyway…" Alex said, "We'd better get back. I need to find a spell to cure the hiccups."

Pinkie simply nodded, then headed back toward Rainbow Dash, who had now landed, and started to head away from the post office.

Finally gathering the last few scrolls, Alex took a few steps, and stood beside Spike. "You ready to…"

Before Alex was able to finish, he was cut off by Spike hiccupping and lighting all the scrolls he had been levitating on fire, and sending them away in a wisp.

Blinking twice, Alex simply looked at the space where the scrolls used to be. "Uh, Spike…" He started slowly, "Did those all get sent to the Princess?"

Spike looked at the ground and sighed. "Yeah…"

Alex opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off again, by another hiccup.

"Come on Spike." Alex said comfortingly, levitating the baby dragon onto his back. "Let's get you home before you send me to the Princess somehow."

* * *

The Next Day

* * *

Alex walked through the town market by himself. He had gone out to pick up some flowers and bread for Twilight. She had wanted to make a sandwich for herself. So, he told her that he would pick them up for her on his way back from a few things he had to get done himself. He had left hours ago, and this was his final stop before he headed back.

One thing Alex still couldn't wrap his mind around, was the food here. Everypony ate the same food as well… Horses. So far, he had managed to survive on apples and cupcakes. He wasn't able to bring himself to eat hay or flowers. It just seemed… gross.

But, he was still willing to go out and pick up those gross things for other to eat. Far be it from him to tell anypony what to eat.

Looking forward, Alex saw Fluttershy on the other side of the market, leading some ducklings through the area. Looking at her, he couldn't help but smile, she was the sweetest pony he knew. And since he hadn't seen her in a while, he decided to go over and say hello.

Fluttershy slowly walked backwards, making sure that all of her ducklings stayed in line. However, she had been paying so much attention to the creatures in front of her, she had failed to notice the griffon standing behind her. And, she abruptly backed into it.

"Hey!" The Griffon said in a hostile tone.

"Oh!" Fluttershy said turning around to face the Griffon. "Please excuse me."

"I'm walkin' here!" She said, glaring at the now frightened pony.

"Oh, um… I'm sorry… I..I… was just trying to..." Fluttershy stammered quietly.

"_Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" _The Griffon mocked. "Why don't you just watch where you're going, doofus!"

At this point, Fluttershy was shaking, "B…b…but… I…" She stammered, unable to form coherent words.

Unfortunately, the Griffon didn't want to hear it, and started to inhale.

Fluttershy knew what was coming next. She was going to scream at her. Instinctively, her ears plastered to the back of her head, and her eyes widened. She was frozen in place, waiting for the inevitable.

"Hey!" Alex shouted from beside them, causing the Griffon to look toward him, and away from Fluttershy.

"What do you want?" The Griffon said in a nasty voice to Alex.

Walking between Fluttershy and the Griffon, he made sure that he took a defensive stance in front of Fluttershy.

"I **want** you to leave her alone." Alex said in a stern tone.

"Oh really?" The griffon said in a snide tone. "Are you gonna stop me?"

"Yeah, I am." Alex said, glaring at her.

Laughing at Alex, The Griffon started inhaling again, Readying herself to roar loud enough to scare them both off.

Seeing her do this, Alex quickly used a spell to clamp her mouth shut, and slowly lift her off the ground. "I'm gonna say this one more time." Alex said, growling lightly. "Leave. Her. Alone."

Finally, she got the idea, and backed off. As soon as he removed the spell keeping her mouth closed, she spoke up. "You'll pay for that."

"Sure. Whatever you say." Alex said, still prepared for whatever else she might do.

However, Alex was relieved to see the Griffon take a few steps back, then take off, and fly away. Once he was sure that she was gone, he turned to Fluttershy who was still shaking uncontrollably. "Are you okay?"

She nodded meekly, still staring at the ground, as a few tears streamed down her cheeks.

Alex raised a hoof and brushed her hair out of her face, "She's gone. You don't have anything else to worry about, Fluttershy."

She slowly looked up at him, "Th… Thank you…"

"Don't worry about it." Alex said with a smile. "As long as I'm around, no one's gonna treat you that way."

"That was amazing!" A voice called from beside them, "It's a good thing you were here, Alex!"

"Pinkie?" Alex said. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw the whole thing from over at the cafe!" She explained. "I knew that Gilda was a mean-meanie pants after all!"

"Gilda, huh?" Alex asked, "I haven't seen her around before… Did she just move here?"

"No no no no." Pinkie said, "She's a good friend of Rainbow Dash!"

Alex didn't like the sound of this. "Are you telling me that I just… got a good friend of Rainbow… Really, REALLY mad at me?"

"Yeah, why?" Pinkie said, oblivious to his worries.

Alex furrowed his brow. Great. "How do you know her?" He asked.

"Well, after all the pranks me and Dashie pulled yesterday, I figured she'd be up for more!" Pinkie explained. "So, I went over to her house this morning to see if she wanted to hang out some more!"

"Okay…" Alex said.

"But Gilda was there!" She continued, "And when I tried to hang out with both of them, she told me to buzz off!"

"So, she's just, all around rude, huh?" Alex asked.

Pinkie nodded. "But I have a great plan!"

Alex cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm gonna throw her… a PARTY!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Alex opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words. After a minute, he finally said, "A… Party? That's your plan?" Somehow he wasn't that surprised.

"Well… That's not all." Pinkie then went on to explain the most devious plan that Alex and Fluttershy had ever heard.

* * *

Alex stood in Sugarcube corner with a smile on his face. After he heard what Pinkie had planned, he couldn't help it. Everyone was just showing up now, and all he had to do was wait.

"Hey Alex!" Twilight called. "Thanks for picking that stuff up for me."

"Oh, it's no problem." Alex said walking over to her. "Sorry I was in such a rush to drop it off. Me and Pinkie were just so excited to throw this party for Gilda."

"That's really nice of you two!" Twilight said with a smile, "You met her, right? What's she like?"

"Oh, she's great." Alex said with a coy smile. "Never met a nicer Griffon in my life."

"That's good to hear!" Twilight said. "So, where's Pinkie?"

"Oh, she's off with Rainbow, setting up some party gags or something." Alex said, happy that everything was going to plan.

"Hey Twi!" Applejack called across the room.

"Oh, do you mind?" Twilight asked, looking at Applejack, then back to Alex.

"Not at all. Have fun." Alex said gesturing to her friends.

Alex watched Twilight head off, then turned around, where he came face to face with Rainbow Dash.

"Why are you doing this?" Rainbow asked.

"Doing what..?" Alex asked, confused.

"Throwing this party," She said in a serious tone. "Gilda told me what happened at the market."

"She did?" Alex asked, surprised that Gilda would talk about bullying Fluttershy to Rainbow so openly.

"She told me about how you shouted at her, and used magic to lift her off the ground, and keep her from talking, for no reason!" Rainbow said, getting more agitated as she spoke.

"Excuse me?" Alex said, almost shouting. "I think she left out a few details!"

"I don't wanna hear it!" She said. "I don't know what it was that you were planning with this party, but I don't want you here!"

"Are you even going to listen to my side of the story?" Alex asked, angrily.

"I know all that I need to know!" Rainbow said, then suddenly lowering her voice. "Get out."

"Listen…" Alex started.

"Get out!" Rainbow screamed, silencing the entire room.

"Fine." Alex said simply, turning and walking through the door, past a smirking Gilda.

As Alex walked away from the bakery, he stopped himself from becoming angry. Rainbow Dash may have ripped into him, but she had been lied to. There was no way she could have known.

Walking a short distance away, he came to a hill overlooking the Everfree forest. He decided that this was as good a place as any to wait for Pinkie to come through for him, and reveal Gilda for who she really was.

* * *

"**This **is your idea of a good time?" Gilda screamed, sick of all the pranks that had been pulled on her, throughout the party. "I've never met a lamer bunch of dweebs in all my life! And Pinkie Pie," She said, pointing at the pink pony across the room.

Everypony looked back and forth between Pinkie and Gilda, horrified that she was acting this way

"You are queen lame-o with your weak little party pranks. Did you really think you could make me lose my cool?" She continued, not realizing that she had done just that. "Well, Dash and I have ten times as much cool as the rest of you put together! Come on Dash, we're bailing on this pathetic scene." She said waiting for Rainbow to start leaving with her.

Across the room, Pinkie grinned. It had all worked out perfectly. Gilda had fallen for every prank that she had encouraged Rainbow Dash to set up, pushing her closer and closer to the meltdown that she was now having. She especially liked how she ended up with the 'pin the tail on the pony' tail on her nose. She may be screaming right now, but, at least now Rainbow could see just what kind of Griffon Gilda was.

"_Come on_ Rainbow Dash. _I said_, we're leaving!"

"You know Gilda, I was the one who set up all those 'weak' pranks at this party." Rainbow said, shocked at what had been just said to her friends.

Gilda couldn't believe that. "W… What?"

"So," Dash said, "I guess I'M queen lame-o."

"Come on Dash!" Gilda said, expecting her to take it back. "You're joshing me!"

"They weren't all meant for you specifically!" Dash explained trying to calm her down, "…It was just dumb luck that you set them all off."

Pinkie couldn't help but laugh to herself at this comment. "I should'a known, that dribble cup had Rainbow Dash written all over it!" She said, even though she knew full well that Rainbow had placed that prank.

"No. Way." Gilda said in disbelief. "It was Pinkie Pie! She set up this party to trip me up! To make a fool of me!"

"Me?" Pinkie said innocently, "I threw this party to improve YOUR attitude! I thought a good party might turn that frown upside down!"

"And you sure didn't need any help making a fool of yourself!" Rainbow shouted, "You know, this is NOT how I thought my old friends would treat my new friends!"

Walking over to Fluttershy, Pinkie winked at her, earning one back from her.

Had anypony looked at her, they would have noticed that Fluttershy was smiling through the entire argument. She was happy that Rainbow Dash could see the true side of Gilda.

"If being cool is all you care about, maybe you should go find some new COOL friends someplace else." Dash said, angry that her friend had been this way all along.

Gilda growled at this, "Yeah? Well you… you… " She stammered "You are such a flip flop! Cool one minute, and lame the next! When you decide not to be lame anymore, give me a call!" She said, turning around and storming out the door.

"Not cool." Rainbow said, watching Gilda leave.

"Wow…" Spike said, "Talk about a party pooper…"

"I'm sorry everypony, for bringing Gilda here!" Rainbow said apologetically. "I didn't know how rude she was… And Pinkie Pie, I'm really sorry she ruined this awesome party you put on for her."

"That's fine…" Pinkie said, thinking about Alex for a moment. "I already knew she was like that though…"

"What?" Rainbow asked surprised. "How did you know?"

"Well… I saw what happened between her and Alex at the Market," Pinkie explained, "She was being really mean to Fluttershy! And Alex told her to stop!"

"She was going to start screaming at me…" Fluttershy piped up, "He made her leave me alone…"

"And he only used his magic to protect Fluttershy!" Pinkie added, "Not because he wanted to push Gilda around!"

Taking all of this in, Rainbow Dash realized what she needed to do. "I have to go…" She said as she quickly headed out the door.

Rainbow was about to head to the Library to find Alex, but her attention was pulled to a hill a short distance away when she saw the silhouette of somepony in front of the setting sun. And, luckily for her, she could see that this pony had wings and a horn. It was him.

Alex sat on the hill, staring into the setting sun. He had just seen Gilda fly over him and into the distance. It looked like everything went according to plan. This whole situation hadn't really helped with his relationship with Rainbow Dash though… Still, he knew the day would come one day that they could patch things up. But, it was probably really far off now.

* * *

"Hey Alex…" Rainbow said walking up the hill behind him.

Or maybe the day was closer than he thought.

"I… I'm so sorry about everything," Dash said.

Alex simply listened, knowing that she wanted to get all of this out.

"I… I've been so mean to you…" She said, tripping over her words. "I thought you were being selfish… rude… But, Pinkie told me what really happened today…" She said as she sat down next to Alex.

"I wasn't going to let her treat Fluttershy that way." Alex said quietly, turning his head to face Rainbow Dash.

"I'm glad you didn't." Dash said looking at him and smiling. "I'm just… so sorry about everything."

"It's okay." Alex said, "She was lying to you. There was no way you could have known."

"It's not just that though!" She said quickly. "I've been mean to you since I first met you! Over something as little as you not knowing my name… and the garbage! I was really mean over that too…"

At this point, Alex knew that she was trying hard to patch things up, but was just digging herself a grave by pointing out everything that he had done to wrong her. So, he decided to stop her.

"How about this," Alex started, "Let's start fresh."

Rainbow Dash was surprised at him saying this, it seemed too good to be true, "…Really?"

"Absolutely," Alex said smiling. "I'd love for us to just, start again."

Narrowing her eyes, she looked him over, almost as if she was checking to see if he was making this up somehow. Leaning into within an inch of his face, she looked right in his eyes.

Being this close to her, Alex couldn't help but notice how good she smelt. She smelt like roses and vanilla. The smell almost seemed to perfectly match her eyes.

Her beautiful pink eyes…

Wait a minute… Had he just thought that?

Deciding that now wasn't the time to be falling for Rainbow Dash, he quickly pulled himself away from her intrusive staring, and stood up, extending a hoof toward her and said. "Hello, I'm Alex."

Standing up, Rainbow smiled and extended her hoof to meet his. "I'm Rainbow Dash."

"It's nice to meet you Colors." Alex said, remembering the name he had given her when he couldn't remember her real name.

"Really?" Rainbow squeaked. "We make up, and you call me that, right off the bat?"

"Yeah," Alex said, smirking. "Because I have so much trouble remembering your name sometimes. Colors is just… so much easier." He said with a wink

"Fine. Call me whatever you want." Rainbow said smiling, "Just don't get mad when I call you Spot!" She said, pointing to the grey spot on his side that ran from his neck, down to his wing.

Alex smiled, happy to be made up with her. Maybe now he could learn how to fly. But, now wasn't the time to ask her. Instead, he simply sat with her on the hill with her, and watched the sun set.


	8. The Doctor

Interlude

The Doctor

* * *

Everything was wrong.

Something had changed.

The story had been rewritten...

The Doctor walked through the town square in Ponyville, reflecting on all that had happened in the past few weeks, It all started about a year and a half from now…

* * *

There had been a royal wedding in Canterlot. It had all been lovely, besides the attempted takeover of the kingdom by an army of changelings… But, they had been defeated by love. Kinda corny, but, it did the trick.

After the end of the wedding, and after enjoying some food at the reception, The Doctor decided to head back to the TARDIS. Derpy was still having a good time with her friends, so he decided to leave her be and get some shut-eye. She would find her way back to him in a few hours.

Walking into the TARDIS, the doors abrubtly closed behind him, and the entire ship started to shake in a way it never had before.

The Doctor was thrown around the cabin of the ship like a rag doll. Luckily, he seemed to hit all the soft spots, and managed to be more or less unhurt by the entire experience. Regaining his composure, he headed toward the doors to see what had caused all of this.

Taking a step outside of the TARDIS, he immediately saw a huge difference in the world. It was… Crazy.

The ground was in a checkerboard pattern, the sky was a dark red, and filled with brown clouds.

Just like when Equestria was almost taken over by… Discord.

The Doctor walked through the now deserted Canterlot, unable to stop himself from being a little frightened by the complete silence throughout the city.

What had happened? 5 minutes ago, everything had been fine. Had Discord somehow come back from his stone imprisonment and done all of this in the few minutes he had been in the TARDIS?

No, not even Discord had THAT kind of power. This had been done over time. It was almost as if he hadn't been defeated at all... But how could that have changed? What had happened to the girls?

The Doctor's train of thought was cut off as he entered the courtyard of the castle. In front of him stood the answer to his questions. Discord had taken his vengeance on the ponies who tried to stop him, by making them endure the same punishment as him. In front of him, were a large collection of statues. Each one sitting on a pedestal, and each one he recognized.

Only looking at a few of them, he was able to see Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Spike, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Big Macintosh… And Derpy.

The Doctor knew this wasn't the time to get Emotional. He had to stay focused. As long as he had a time machine, he could change this. He HAD to change this. Turning around to head for the TARDIS, The Doctor was distracted by another pedestal, in the middle of the statues of the Ponies. An empty one. Walking forward, The Doctor read the plaque on the pedestal.

"Let this show the kindness and mercy of the all-powerful Discord," The Doctor read slowly, "For he has spared the foreigner."

Before the Doctor had a chance to figure out who this 'foreigner' was, he heard a voice boom from above him.

"Now who do we have here?" Said the voice from above, "Has somepony come to admire my collection of statues?"

Taking this as his queue to make a quick exit, The Doctor bolted away from the courtyard. He knew that was Discord talking. And he couldn't afford to be caught.

"Come now! Do you really think you can run from a god?" Discord said arrogantly, flying high above the pony on the ground, "There's nowhere you can go little pony."

The Doctor smirked at that comment. He had somewhere he could go. A place where this 'god' couldn't possibly follow him.

Completely unaware the pony's time traveling capability, Discord simply toyed with him instead. As far as he was concerned, this was just a game.

Making it back to the TARDIS, The Doctor ran inside and closed the door behind him, and quickly got to work on escaping.

"You're going to hide in a box?" Discord said landing outside of the Doctors camouflaged ship, "I was expecting more. Oh well." He said as he shot a bolt of magic at the TARDIS.

Unfortunately for Discord, the magic bounced right off of the wood, and blasted his arm instead. "What is this?" He bellowed, suddenly very angry. But, before he had a chance to do anything else, the box started to fade, until it eventually disappeared.

The Doctor gave a sigh of relief as the TARDIS took him away from danger. He hadn't gotten a chance to choose a destination. He told the TARDIS to lock on to the first noticeable changes in time, and to take him there, wherever, or whenever that was.

* * *

In the end, the TARDIS brought him to the day after Night Mare Moon had been defeated, in Ponyville. The town was still a mess after the party that had been thrown. That was where he started.

The first change he noticed in Ponyville was when a garbage cart covered the entire town in trash. That hadn't happened before. But after asking around town, he couldn't find the cause of it. So, he simply decided to wait for the next change.

The next red flag that went up were during the annual Applebuck season. Applejack being hurt in the stampede wasn't something that had happened before. As he remembered, she stopped the stampede, and was honored by the town for it. But that had changed too. He just couldn't figure out how.

He was careful not to ask too many questions. He didn't want the force that had changed time to know he was looking for it. For all he knew it was an alien, or a monster or… something. Either way, he had to be quiet.

Another thing that he had noticed, was that he wasn't here. Well, he WAS, but if he had gone back in time, shouldn't there be a younger version of him here? There should have been. But there wasn't. Something had made the past version of him disappear too, which only made things more confusing.

Even with the huge amount of questions that were being raised by all of this, he knew that he was closing in on the most important one. What really had caused all of this?

He would know soon. He could feel it in his gut.


	9. Hillside

Hillside

* * *

Alex sat in a comfortable silence with Rainbow Dash. The two had just made up after weeks of unfriendliness, and both of them were happy to be rid of it.

Neither of them had made eye contact with the other, they were simply staring out to the almost set sun, and all of the colors it brought to the sky.

"It's beautiful…" Alex said, breaking the silence between them. "I couldn't imagine the sun looking like this back where I come from…"

Dash perked up at this. She wasn't very good at making small talk, so hearing him mention his home world gave her an opportunity to start a conversation with him.

"What was it like?" She asked. "Your world I mean! Not the sun… in… your world…" she laughed nervously, not really sure why she was nervous in the first place.

Alex laughed softly then sighed. "My world is just so different from this one… Where can I start?"

Deciding to stay silent, Dash watched him intently, happy that he was opening up to her.

"First of all… Everything looks so different," Alex started. "Everything here has so much color. So much vibrance… But, this world is somehow… Less defined."

Not really sure what this meant, Dash spoke up "What does that mean?"

"It's not an easy thing to explain…" Alex said trying to find the words. "You've seen a picture drawn by a filly, right?" He asked, knowing that cartoons didn't exist in this world for him to compare this too. "You know how the picture looks like… well… a drawing?"

Vaguely understanding what he meant, Dash nodded.

"It's like if you were pulled into a world that was entirely made up of drawings like that…" Alex said slowly, not sure if his explanation was making any sense to her. "I probably sound like an idiot, huh?"

"You don't," Dash said, starting to get what he was trying to say. "It just really makes me wonder what you world looks like, if this one looks like a drawing to you."

"Well… That's not something I think I could possibly explain." Alex said with a chuckle.

Dash chuckled. "That's alright. Why don't you tell me something else about your world, Spot?"

Smiling at the use of her new nickname for him, he thought for a moment, trying to find something to talk about.

"Well," Alex started again, happy to have someone listening to him about this stuff. "Everything is just so DIFFERENT." He said, feeling like he had said 'different' one too many times.

Gathering his thoughts, Alex took a deep breath, and started listing off everything he could think of.

"There's no magic in my world, or at least, I don't think there is… Ponies are just unintelligent animals, people don't break into song and dance for no reason, there is a LOT more violence in my world than yours, No one is just nice to each other for no reason… Except maybe in Canada…" Alex said, earning a strange look from Dash, he then continued, "Grass is NOT what they eat, people aren't able to fly, or defy gravity, or make whatever they want happen…"

"That's mostly just Pinkie Pie" Dash said, not realizing that just made it make LESS sense to him.

"And…" Alex finally said, "That's why this world is WAY better than mine… Besides the 'eating grass' thing."

Dash smiled. She was happy he liked it so much here. However, it brought a question to her mind. "Don't you miss your family?"

Opening his mouth slightly, Alex thought back to the painful memories he had experienced right before he came to Equestria. "I'd rather not talk about that." He said finally. Sounding a little angrier than he meant to, which he immediately regretted.

"Oh, Sorry…" Dash said, taken back a little. "Listen, maybe I should-"

"I didn't mean to sound that way," Alex said, cutting her off. "It's just a sensitive subject for me… Let's move on. How about you tell me about yourself… Please?"

Seeing the clearly apologetic look on Alex's face, Dash immediately felt better. " Okay… Well, as you know, I'm really into flying!"

Happy to be past the 'family' subject, Alex listened to Dash, just as she had for him.

"Ever since I was young, I was in all the classes, camps, clubs..." Dash said, hesitating slightly, "That's how I met Gilda, by the way."

Nodding, Alex allowed her to continue.

"Anyway, All that learning… All the practice, it's all been for one thing!" Dash said, her voice starting to squeak as she explained her main drive. "The Wonderbolts!"

Alex had heard of these ponies. They performed stunts, supervised official Cloudsdale activities, and helped out with all kinds of disasters. It made sense that Dash would want to become a part of that team. He heard they were the best. And he knew that she would fit in with them amazingly.

"If I could join up with them… They could be so much better!" Dash explained excitedly. "They could use my cutie mark as the official logo! I could teach them all of my tricks, they might even change their name to 'The Rainbowbolts!'"

Smirking slightly, Alex had to ask. "Really?"

"No." Dash said laughing, "I mean, it would be GREAT if they did, but, not even I'm THAT full of myself. I know I'm not the best. But, maybe I could be one of the best someday… Right?" She said looking at the ground modestly.

"Of course," Alex said with a smile. "I've only been here for a little while… But you're still the best I've seen!"

Blushing slightly, Dash looked up to thank him for the complement, but as soon as she looked into his eyes, she immediately forgot what it was that she was going to say to him.

Alex hated how gorgeous her eyes were. He knew that he could get lost in them, normally he would have looked away, but she was so absorbed in him, that he took the opportunity to absorb himself a little in her.

After a few moments of the two staring at each other, Dash finally started to come back to her senses. Realizing how close together their faces were, she Abrubtly pulled away and laughed nervously. "Whoa! Would you look at the time?" She said looking at a drawn on watch on her ankle, "I think we'd better be getting to bed!"

"We?" Alex asked jokingly, knowing full well what she actually meant.

"Wha— N…No!" Dash stammered "It's just late, and … and… I think we should be heading to our own beds! Because I DEFINATELY don't want to sleep with you!" Widening her eyes at what she had just said, she stammered on, trying to correct herself. "But… You're… I'm… I'm not saying that b… because I don't like you or anything! Because… I'm… I'm… sure you'd be very nice to sleep with….!"

Upon realizing what she said again, Dash just stopped.

Letting out a quiet 'eep,' she quickly turned away from him. At this point, she was blushing so deeply from embarrassment; the red mixing with her blue coat was starting to make her look purple.

Alex didn't say a single word. She had dug herself a pretty deep hole, and he knew that he would probably just make it worse if he said anything.

Dash sighed, something about this stallion made her sound like an idiot. Normally, she could handle herself so well. And if the rare time came when she COULDN'T handle herself, she would just get mad and storm off… But not this time. She told herself it was because they had just made up, and she didn't want to start another fight with him. But, deep down, she knew the real answer. He was a good looking pony. And she was REALLY starting to realize it.

"I'm just gonna go…" Dash said, still facing away from him.

Alex knew she was embarrassed, so, he decided to just let her head home. "Alright," He said simply. "Goodnight Colors."

"Goodnight Al…Spot." Dash corrected quickly, turning around for a moment to face him. "And if you'd like to learn how to fly, let me know, alright?"

Alex smiled and nodded.

Still blushing lightly, she turned and took off into the sky.

Dash couldn't believe that her opinion of him could change so fast. She had only been on good terms with him for a few hours, and she was already starting to feel something for him. Was it supposed to happen this fast? It was like going from one extreme to another. Like jumping out of a tub of ice and into a hot spring. It made no sense that she was feeling this for him so quickly. She would have been less surprised if she had started feeling something for him a few months down the road… But this was just crazy.

Knowing that she could easily stay up all night if she kept thinking this way, she decided to try her best to move past it as she finally arrived at her house, and went inside, and headed straight to bed.

Luckily for her, she was much more exhausted than she realized, and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep. She could think about Alex in the morning.

* * *

Alex sat alone on the hill long after she had left, he had been thinking the exact same things as her. How fast this had happened… But, something about that pony just seemed… Right.

He couldn't explain it any better. But, at the same time, he felt like that explained it completely. She felt Right.

And he hoped that he would be seeing much more of her.


	10. Boast Busters

Chapter 8

Boast Busters

* * *

Alex sat outside the library, enjoying the sun. Even though he was still on the fence on whether this world was real or simply in his imagination, everything was still going great. He had finally fixed things up with Rainbow Dash, and the two were getting along amazingly. He hadn't spent much time hanging out with her yet, but she had offered to teach him to fly. Something he was both excited, and nervous about. Nervous about the flying part, and excited for the Rainbow Dash part.

Even though a few days had passed, the whole night remained fresh in his mind. He was happy that they had taken that time to get to know one another. They hadn't exchanged much information, but he was still happy to have the opportunity to start again with her.

However, as memorable as all that time was, there was still one part of the night that stuck out in his head. The end of it.

When the two had been staring into each other's eyes, Alex felt something he hadn't felt before. A kind of… Spark. A feeling he could only compare to how he felt for his ex-girlfriend back on earth. Only, this feeling was much stronger.

Something about her seemed to click with him. The way she listened to him, the way she laughed, the way she lost her ability to speak properly when he embarrassed her. And, of course, the way Rainbow had started to ramble on about them sleeping together.

Alex knew that she hadn't meant anything by it. But, the way she had stumbled over the words made him smile every time he thought about it. She could be so cute.

_Cute_

That was never a word he thought he would associate with a pony. But, to be fair, the ponies in this world were MUCH more attractive than they were in his world. Her brilliant eyes, her rainbow mane, her smile…

Before Alex could think about her anymore, he heard some kind of commotion coming from the center of town. It had been gradually getting louder, and he had only just noticed it.

Deciding to take a break from thinking about Rainbow Dash, Alex headed off to see what all the commotion was about.

* * *

Rainbow Dash lay in her bed in staring at the ceiling. She had replayed the night she and Alex had spent together over and over in her head.

From her apology, all the way to her telling him that she would like to SLEEP with him.

Sighing, Dash rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. How could she be so stupid? Alex probably thought she was an idiot. They had barely made up, and she was already propositioning him.

Still. He HAD accepted her invitation to flying lessons yesterday. Which was a good sign, right?

Yes. It was.

Clearly, Dash hadn't totally ruined the way he thought of her.

The two had decided to start his flying lessons tomorrow. And she was excited for it. These lessons gave her a good excuse to see him. And, hopefully, he'd be really bad at flying. So she could spend as much time training him as possible.

"I wonder if he'd want to-" Dash said out loud, before being cut off by cheering coming from down below her.

Happy for a distraction, Dash quickly got up, and decided to go check out what all the commotion was.

* * *

Alex walked into the thick crowd that had gathered in front of a stage that could only have been built within the last few hours.

"Who did this?" Alex asked a pony who was standing beside him.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie!" The pony responded excitedly.

"The what-now?" Alex asked confused,

"Shhh!" The pony said to him, "She's coming!"

"Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" The deep blue unicorn announced to the crowd from the stage, earning several cheers. "Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!"

Alex frowned at her attitude. This pony had an ego. Enough of one to speak of herself in the 3rd person. Looking around, Alex spotted Rainbow Dash fly down from the sky and land beside Twilight and the rest of her friends, so, he decided to head over towards them.

Twilight and her friends were annoyed by the way Trixie was acting. She obviously thought she was better than everypony else.

"Just because one has the ability to perform lots of magic doesn't make one better than the rest of us!" Rarity said to Twilight, who was looking concerned.

"Especially when you have me around being better than the rest of of… of" Rainbow stopped upon seeing Alex, "Um.. Uh, I mean… Boo!" She said, turning her head to hide her embarrassment at the stutter he had caused.

"Well, well, well, it seems we have some _neigh_sayers in the audience! Who is so _ignorant_ as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie?" Trixie said to the crowd. "Do they not know that they're in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?"

"Just who does she think she is?" Rarity said, angry at her attitude.

"I'm pretty sure Twilight here is…" Alex began, before getting a purple hoof pressed against his mouth

"Please don't Alex!" Twilight said desperately. "I don't want anypony to think I'm a show off!"

"But… I don't think anypony will-" Alex was again cut off, but by Trixie this time.

"You think this pony here is more magical than I? The Great and Powerful Trixie?" Trixie said to Alex, as she turned to look at Twilight.

"Oh no!" Twilight said, laughing nervously. "No magic here! He doesn't know what he's saying!"

Alex rolled his eyes. He was a little disappointed that Twilight wouldn't stand up and stop Trixie from boasting so much.

"As I thought," Trixie said smugly. "I'm sure The Great and Powerful Trixie's reputation precedes her enough for you little ponies to know of her victory over the great Ursa Major!"

Several ponies murmured to each other in confusion about what it was that she was talking about.

"Allow me to fill everypony in then," Trixie said using her magic to illustrate the story she was about to tell. "When the ponies of Hoofington were being attacked by an Ursa Major, and had nopony to turn to… the Great and Powerful Trixie arrived, and with her awesome magic, vanquished the Ursa Major and sent it back to its cave deep within the Everfree Forest, and saving the town!" Trixie finished, showing a small version of herself chase a bear into a cave with her magic.

The crowd was impressed by this. A couple of younger pony's even got up and started shouting about how amazing Trixie was.

"Trixie truly is the most talented, the most magical, the most awesome unicorn in Ponyville!" A young orange pony said to the audience.

"No!" A smaller blue pony cut in, "In all of Equestria!"

"How do you know?" Spike shouted at them, "You didn't see it! Besides! Twi…" Spike was cut off by a zipper going over his mouth, courtesy of a modest Twilight.

"Don't believe the Great and Powerful Trixie?" Trixie said to the crowd. "Well then, I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians… anything you can do, I can do better," She challenged. "Any takers? Hmm? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived!"

Applejack growled. She wanted to get up and show her just what she could do, but her leg was still hurt from the accident, so she wasn't able to show Trixie up. Nudging Rainbow Dash, she gestured for her to take Trixie up on her challenge.

Getting the idea, Dash walked through the crowd in front of her toward the stage. She was going to shut Trixie up. Right here, right now.

"Alright!" Rainbow Dash announced, walking up on the stage. "Let's see you do this!"

Launching herself into the air before Trixie even had a chance to say anything, Rainbow gunned straight toward the towns windmill a short distance away, and did a few loops around the rudders. Following that, she headed straight up, punching holes in several clouds on the way up. Then, she stopped dead in front of the sun, casting her shadow on the crowd. She wasn't finished yet. Next, she went straight back down, back through the holes she had made in the clouds, causing the moisture from the clouds to follow her down. Finally, in her last move, she went back around the windmill several times, while still being followed by the water from the clouds. Then, she zoomed right back to the stage, and stopped dead. A moment later, she was hit by the moisture that had been following her, causing a rainbow to appear over her head.

"They don't call me RAINBOW and DASH for nothin'!" Rainbow said triumphantly.

Alex couldn't believe what he had just seen. Rainbow was amazing. She DEFINITELY belonged with the Wonderbolts. Standing up on his hind legs, he cheered as loud as he could, making sure that she could hear him over the rest of the cheering crowd.

Looking in Alex's direction, Dash smiled, happy to see him being so supportive of her.

Trixie didn't like the reception Dash was receiving, so, she decided to cut it short.

Focusing her magic, she cast a spell that made the rainbow that Dash had created with her trick start to spin around her.

Being taken off guard by this, Dash wasn't able to get out of the way of the cyclone that Trixie had turned her rainbow into. The multi-colored cyclone quickly picked her up and started twirling her around the stage, and eventually into the air.

When the cyclone finally came to a stop, Rainbow landed face first on the ground in front of Alex. She was very dizzy, and VERY embarrassed.

"Are you okay, Colors?" Alex said, lowering his head to her level, which was still on the ground.

"Yeah…" Dash said righting herself, avoiding his gaze.

Deciding that Rainbow Dash hadn't had enough, Trixie cast a spell causing a small black storm cloud to appear above Dash, zapping her rump with a small bolt of lightning.

"Yee-oww!" Dash squeaked as she was struck, causing Trixie and most of the audience to start laughing.

Alex growled at Trixie. This was unacceptable. He wished he was further along in his training so he could take her on...

"What we need is another unicorn to challenge her!" Spike said to Twilight, "Someone with some magic of their own!"

"Yeah!" Dash said angrily, "A unicorn to show _this_ unicorn who's boss!"

"A real unicorn to unicorn tussle!" Applejack added.

Twilight didn't like this one bit, she was going to have to go up there. She knew she could trounce this pony in her sleep, but she didn't want her friends to think she was sinking to Trixie's level. "Uh… Well…" Twilight began, before being cut off by Rarity.

"Enough!" Rarity said, stepping forward. "Enough, all of you. I take your hint, but Rarity is above such nonsense. Rainbow Dash may behave like a ruffian, but Rarity conducts herself with beauty and grace."

Trixie smiled cockily. "What's the matter? Afraid you'll get a hair out of place in that rat's nest you call a mane?"

Rarity immediately narrowed her gaze. Trixie had crossed a line. "It. Is. On." She said walking onto the stage. "You may think you're tough with all of your so called powers, but there's more to magic than your brutish ways! A unicorn needs to be more than just muscle! A unicorn needs to have style!"

Pulling one of the curtains off the stage with her magic, Rarity spun it around her, cutting it, decorating it, and tailoring it perfectly to her. When she finished, the curtain was replaced with a beautiful dress that was being worn by her, along with a done up mane.

"A unicorn is not a unicorn without grace and beauty." Rarity said confidently.

Trixie simply smiled to herself, and started casting another spell.

"Rarity won't let Trixie get the best of her!" Spike said to the ponies around him. "She's strong, she's beautiful, she's…"

Before Spike was able to finish, Trixie used her spell, and changed Rarities hair from the usual Purple, to a sickly green.

The crowd gasped, staring at her in awe.

"_I need a mirror! Get me a mirror!" _Rarity said desperately. "What did she do to my hair? I know she did something terrible to my hair!"

"Nothing!" Twilight said, non-convincingly.

"It's… Fine!" Rainbow Dash lied.

"It's gorgeous!" Applejack agreed.

"It's green…" Spike said, earning a glare from the three girls around him. "…What?"

"No!" Rarity cried, "Not green hair! Such an awful, awful color!" She said through her tears, as she ran from the stage heading toward her home.

Leaning down to Spike, Alex whispered in his ear. "Girls like it when you try to make them feel better."

Immediately getting the idea, Spike quickly thanked Alex, and then ran through the crowd, following Rarity.

Looking toward Trixie, Alex decided that he would try his best to show her up, even if he was guaranteed to lose. Taking a step forward, he cleared his throat loudly, getting Trixie's Attention.

"Does somepony else DARE challenge the Great and Powerful Trixie?" Trixie said, realizing that it had been Alex that had gotten her attention. "You again?"

Looking him over, Trixie quickly noticed Alex's lack of a cutie mark. "No cutie mark?" She asked, confused. "Haven't found your special talent yet? Or are you just completely useless?"

Looking him over again, she decided that he wasn't ALL bad… Stepping down from the stage, she walked over to Alex, looking into his eyes with a sultry gaze.

"Then again," Trixie began with a wicked smile. "You're pretty cute… I'm sure the Great and Powerful Trixie could find SOME use for you" She said walking past him, running a hoof over his wing softly.

Alex was completely stunned, was she coming on to him? That was NOT something he had expected. He didn't know there were THESE kinds of ponies in this world. Still. Trixie was the last pony in Equestria he would want to do that kind of stuff with. So, he responded with a simple, "I'll pass."

"Are you sure?" Trixie said, leaning in to whisper in Alex's ear. "Maybe I could show you my SPECIAL talent."

"He said he'll pass!" Dash shouted, earning a lot of confused looks from the ponies around her. "Not… Not that I care!" She said quickly.

Seeing the adamant look on Alex's face, Trixie sighed and started heading back to the stage. "Your loss." She said with a wink. "The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't just go around offering free pony rides, you know."

"Why?" Dash spoke up again with a smirk. "Do you normally charge for them?"

Glaring at Dash for a moment, she turned her attention back to Alex, with a much more serious demeanor. "You wish to challenge Trixie? Good. Show me what you're made of, stallion."

Alex was only able to take a few steps toward the stage before Twilight cut him off.

"I'll face you." Twilight said, deciding she didn't care if her friends thought she was a show off, Alex wasn't ready for this kind of fight. "He's only a student to magic. I'm his teacher."

"Is he now?" Trixie said, raising her eyebrow. "Fine. After The Great and Powerful Trixie beats you, maybe he'll see who his teacher SHOULD be."

Deciding to finish this quickly, Trixie went first, so she could quickly scare this pony off. However, hearing that this pony was a teacher, she decided to use one of the most powerful spells she knew.

Focusing all of her power into her horn, the ground started to shake.

At first, nopony knew what was going on. But it quickly became clear as the entire stage started to float into the air.

Levitating the entire stage, Trixie was confident that this spell would scare Twilight off. She had raised the stage a good 40 feet off the ground when she finally stopped raising it.

Then, Switching her focus, Trixie started to only levitate herself and Twilight, causing the stage to fall back to the ground, and smash to pieces. Luckily, she had dropped it far enough away from the crowd, to ensure that nopony was hurt.

Then, slowly bringing the two of them back to the ground, she shifted her focus again and started levitating all the pieces of the broken stage, and organized them on the ground in their appropriate sizes.

The crowd cheered as she finished. Nopony had ever seen THAT kind of magic, and they had a hard time imagining Twilight topping it.

Gasping for air, Trixie took a moment to breathe, and then smirked at Twilight. She may have almost knocked herself out, but she had won. She was sure of it.

"It's okay to run away." Trixie said panting. "Trixie understands."

Trixie's massive levitation spell HAD been impressive. But Twilight knew she could top it. After thinking for a moment, she came up with the perfect spell to win this.

Twilight closed her eyes and focused every ounce of energy she had into her spell. Levitating herself into the air, she closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, her purple eyes had been replaced by a solid white light.

The crowd watched in awe as a purple aura exploded out of Twilight. Magical bolts of lightning shot out of her in random directions. Each bolt caused a magical change. Trees were turned into flowers, flowers were turned into apples, and apples were turned into cake, only to name a few.

Deciding to get to the main event, Twilight shot a powerful bolt of magic, at the organized pile of rubble Trixie had made, sending it soaring into the air. Then, as each piece of wood fell back to the earth, a bolt shot out of her and hit the piece of wood into place, which started happening at an incredibly fast speed, filling the area with non-stop claps of thunder.

At first, nopony knew what she was doing. It just looked like she was zapping each piece of wood individually, making them land next to each other. However, after a few seconds, it became obvious. She was rebuilding the stage. It only took her about a minute to finish her task, and when she did, she lowered herself back to the ground.

Then, just to top everything off, a bolt of energy shot out and turned Trixie into a potted plant.

Closing her eyes again, the purple aura that had surrounded her quickly started to fade. Then, with one last bolt of energy, she turned Trixie back into a pony.

Knowing that she had won, Twilight turned to the crowd, and got just what she had expected.

The crowd was silent. Twilight frowned; they thought she was just like Trixie…

However, she was surprised, when the audience erupted in cheering. Trixie had been nothing compared to Twilight. And the crowd wanted her to be sure of it.

Looking back and forth frantically, Trixie managed to stammer out a question. "W… Where… Where did you learn that?"

The crowd quickly quieted down to listen to Twilight's explanation.

"Actually," Twilight said, remembering her entrance exam for the gifted unicorns school back when she was a filly, "I always just kind of… knew it…"

"What?" Trixie shouted. "You've always been able to do THAT?"

"Well, I haven't always had that much focus," Twilight explained, "Princess Celestia has taught me to focus enough to control that spell."

Trixie stood slack-jawed. "You've been taught by… The Princess?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention that?" Twilight said with a bit of smugness in her voice.

Having been embarrassed enough; Trixie stood up, and simply walked away. Keeping her eyes glued to the ground, not wanting to look at anypony. She had never lost before. And it didn't feel good. Since she was still in such a state of shock from being transformed into a plant, she couldn't find any 'last words' to say before she left.

As soon as Trixie was out of sight, the crowd exploded in cheering once again. All of Twilights friends quickly ran up and joined her on the stage.

"I… I can't believe you did that!" Rainbow Dash said, still in awe of what had happened..

"That'll show her not to mess with Ponyville folk!" Applejack said, smiling.

"Have you always been so good with magic?" Dash asked.

"Well… Yeah…" Twilight said modestly.

"Then why didn't you come forward sooner?" Rainbow asked.

"I didn't want you guys to think that I was showing off…" Twilight explained. "I saw the way you reacted to her… I didn't want to look like her…"

"Twilight," Alex said speaking up, "You stood up for us. We would never think negatively of you for that."

"I guess I don't know what I was thinking…" Twilight said with a soft smile.

"Heck, we even put up with RD! And you're WAY better than her!" Applejack said.

"Hey!" Dash said with a smirk, "It's not my fault I'm the best!"

As the conversation about Dash's superiority continued, Alex couldn't help but wonder how Spike was doing. He hoped that the advice he had given him had been worth it. Rarity had been a complete mess when she ran off in tears. Hopefully he had managed to make her feel a little better.

Deciding to go check on Spike, Alex quickly excused himself from the group, and headed off toward the Carrousel Boutique.

* * *

After walking a short distance, Alex saw Spike heading in the opposite direction of the Boutique, walking towards him.

"Hey Spike!" Alex called, running forward to meet Spike. "How'd it go?"

Looking up at Alex, Spike said nothing. He simply had a dreamy expression on his face.

Upon seeing Spikes face, Alex immediately understood why Spike was so happy. There was lipstick on his forehead. She had kissed him!

"Woah! Spike!" Alex said with a smile, "What happened?"

Coming out of la-la land, Spike finally spoke up, "It was great! Just like you said! She was so happy!" He said with a dreamy smile. "But, let me start from the beginning…"


	11. Green Hair

Green Hair

* * *

"Girls like it when you try to make them feel better." Alex whispered to Spike.

Immediately understanding, Spike whispered a quick 'thank you' to Alex, then took off after Rarity.

Unfortunately for Spike, Rarity was much faster than him. She was running on 4 legs, he was running on 2, and had a head start to boot.

Luckily, Spike knew exactly where Rarity was going. She wouldn't want anypony seeing her after what Trixie had done to her. So, all he had to do was head to the Carousel Boutique. He just hoped that Rarity wouldn't be too upset when he got there.

* * *

After a couple minute trek through town, Spike reached the Boutique.

Stepping up to the front door of the store, Spike could hear crying coming from the inside.

To be honest, he didn't understand what the big fuss was. Sure, having your hair turned green wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world. But, it certainly didn't seem like the kind of thing to cry so much over. Still, he figured it was just a girl thing that he would never understand.

Taking a deep breath, Spike knocked on the door.

"Go away!" Rarity shouted through the door. "I'm not seeing anypony right now!"

Frowning, Spike spoke up, "Rarity, it's Spike! Can I please come in?"

Spike waited a few minutes for a response, but none came. He knew Rarity was still there, he could still hear her ragged breathing, and light sniffling.

"I'm coming in, okay?" Spike said, waiting for a response. When none came, he decided that she hadn't said 'no,' which was good enough for him.

Opening the door, Spike walked into the main section of the Boutique. He was surrounded by mannequins, each one wearing a different design. And on the opposite side of the room, was the counter that Rarity used for purchases. And coming from behind that counter, was the unmistakable sound of whimpering.

Closing the door, Spike ran over to the counter.

"Rarity?" Spike said, jumping on top of the counter and looking down at her.

Looking down, Spike could see that Rarity was sitting on the floor, with her eyes clamped shut, as she tried to stop herself from crying in front of him.

Rarity was still dressed in the beautiful blue dress that she had made from the stage curtain. However, no matter how good the dress looked, her hair was still green. A color she hated enough to cry over.

"Rarity…" Spike said again softly, "Are you okay?"

Taking a breath, Rarity tried her best to compose herself. "No Spike." She said simply, looking up at him, showing the makeup on her face that had started to run because of her tears.

"I know that Trixie changed the color of your hair… But you don't need to be so sad about it!" Spike said, trying to reassure her.

"It's not just my hair Spike…" Rarity said to him, barely keeping herself under control. "I consider myself to be a fashionista! An expert in all things fashion!"

Nodding slowly, Spike pretended to understand where she was going with this.

"But… I lost…" Rarity said, as tears started to fall from her eyes again. "Defeated by the most egotistical pony I've ever had the displeasure of meeting!"

Now Spike understood. The hair was nothing. It was her pride that had been hurt. Trixie had beaten her at her passion.

Thinking about it more and more, Spike started to realize that Trixie hadn't REALLY beaten Rarity… All she did was cast a spell that was completely different from what Rarity had told her to cast.

"Trixie didn't beat you though!" Spike said to her as he jumped down from the counter so he could stand next to her.

Looking up at him, Rarity wasn't sure what he meant. "I- I beg your pardon?" she asked, intrigued at what he had to say.

"Well… You went against her in a battle of beauty…" Spike began, before being corrected.

"It was nothing so crude, Spike! " Rarity said, acting a little more like herself. "I simply challenged her to show the beauty and grace that she possessed as a unicorn."

"And… Did she?" Spike asked.

Pausing for a moment, Rarity started to see where he was coming from. Trixie had only turned her hair green… Which had nothing to do with the original challenge. She hadn't beaten her! Spike was right!

"You're right!" Rarity said, perking up. "The only thing that ruffian could do was turn my hair green! There's no elegance in that!"

"Exactly!" Spike said, happy to be cheering Rarity up. "She couldn't beat you at being beautiful, which, let's face it… nopony could ever do!"

Rarity simply smiled as she stood up, as she continued to listen to Spike.

"And if you think about it… your hair isn't so bad!" Spike said with a smile.

"Now Spike, there's no need to lie to me." Rarity said to him seriously. "You may lie to a lady if she asks you if her rump looks big in a dress. But that's it."

"I'm not lying though!" Spike said honestly, "I really like your hair!"

Starting to get annoyed, Rarity started to think that he was making fun of her. "It's rude to lie to me, Spike. This is a hideous shade of green. Why do you insist on telling me otherwise?"

Spike wanted to kick himself. He should have known better than to say that. Now she was angry at him. Him and his big mouth…

"I- I said I liked it because… Well… Because we match…" Spike said sadly, pointing to the green spines on his head.

Rarity didn't know what to say. She immediately regretted how she had just treated him.

"Spike…" Rarity said quietly, "Do you really mean that? You wouldn't mind if my hair was always this color?"

"Of course not!" Spike said earnestly, "You're always beautiful! No matter what color your mane is!"

Finding herself being overwhelmed by what Spike had said, Rarity decided to reward him, by leaning in and kissing his forehead. After a few seconds, she pulled away and looked at the dragon that was now frozen in place, slack jawed.

"Thank you, Spike." Rarity said simply, resisting the urge to kiss him again.

Spike didn't reply. He stood there and smiled.

"Also, Spike," Rarity said, "I'd just like to say that you're the most handsome, sensitive, and muscular dragon I've ever met! And I wish that the colts in this town were half the man that you are!"

"I know," Spike said, his voice suddenly much deeper. "But have no fear milady, I am all yours."

"Marry me, Spike!" Rarity said, swooning over him.

"Of course, let's—"

* * *

"Is that REALLY how it happened, Spike?" Alex asked, trying not to laugh at the farfetched story that he had just been told.

"Okay… Well, all the rest was true!" Spike said, "She kissed me, then told me that she had to fix her hair, no matter how much I loved it. So, I decided to come back, so nopony would worry about me!"

"Ah, that makes MUCH more sense." Alex said with a smile. "Still though, good job buddy!"

"Thanks, I—" Spike said, before being cut off by some yelling off in the distance, followed by some stomping on the ground that was getting louder and louder.

Turning around, Alex could see two young ponies running away from the entrance of the Everfree forest. Upon closer inspection, he could see that they were the two that had been talking about how amazing Trixie was a little while ago.

"What are you running away from?" Alex called to them as they ran by.

"The Ursa Major!" The short blue one called as he and his friend ran by.

Feeling his heart sink, Alex turned and saw the source of the shaking ground. A monster, larger than anything he could imagine, slowly started to emerge from the Everfree forest.

However, something was different about this Ursa Major. As far as Alex could remember, Trixie had shown everypony her fighting a giant blue bear when she saved Hoofington. So why was this one purple?

However, since things had gone from good to horrible in about 10 seconds, he decided not to ponder a slight color change.

"Spike," Alex said, with a dead serious voice. "Go get Twilight."

"But, what about you?" Spike asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine." Alex said, staring at the large beast slowly approaching the town. "Please. Hurry."

Knowing that he had no time to waste, Spike ran toward the Library. It wasn't very far, and he hoped that he could make it in time.

Alex hoped he could make it in time too. He really did.


	12. The MAJOR Problem

The MAJOR Problem

/

Alex stood on the edge of town. In front of him was an absolutely massive beast that had just emerged from the Everfree forest.

The best way he could explain the creature, was as a giant, semi-transparent bear, with fur that looked like a star covered sky.

The Ursa stood about a hundred yards away, staring straight at Alex. The creature had stopped dead in its tracks as soon as it spotted him. Almost as if something was wrong with the pony standing in front of it.

Alex looked around, and was glad to see everypony leaving their homes, and heading away from the Ursa. The further away they were, the safer they were.

"What is it waiting for?" Alex said out loud, looking back to the beast.

The lack of movement from the Ursa made Alex worry. He was hoping that the beast didn't want a fight, but somehow he doubted that was the case. At least this was giving Spike time to get Twilight for him.

Unfortunately for Alex, after almost two full minutes of the Ursa staring him down, it started to approach him cautiously, as if it was afraid of him.

/

"Twilight!" Spike shouted as he ran through the door to the library.

"Spike?" Twilight asked, walking away from the book she had been reading. "What's wrong?"

Spike opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the ground shaking weakly. "That." He finally said.

"What's making the ground shake like that?" Twilight asked, still feeling the weak quaking, that was slowly getting stronger.

"It's… It's an Ursa Major, and-" Spike said, before Twilight cut him off.

"You mean the giant blue bear that Trixie defeated in Hoofington?" Twilight said, hoping that this wouldn't be the case.

"Well, not quite." Spike said, hearing a sigh of relief from Twilight. "This one's purple!"

Twilight's heart sunk. She had just read in her book, that an Ursa Minor was a large blue baby bear, that could be soothed with the right kinds of magic. But, an Ursa Major was something much more terrifying. It was significantly larger, and significantly more powerful.

"Spike," Twilight said seriously. "I need you to write a letter to Princess Celestia. We need to get her here! Ponyville is in serious danger!"

"But… Twilight!" Spike said, "She'll never get them! She won't even be awake!"

Twilight knew this was the case, but saw no alternative.

"Just start sending as many scrolls as you can!" Twilight said desperately, "She's got to notice them eventually!"

"I'll try my best…" Spike said, nervous that he had been tasked with something so important. "You need to hurry though! Alex is down there by himself! He sent me away so I could get you!"

"What? I've got to get down there!" Twilight shouted as she ran for the door, however, she had to say one more thing. "Spike, if you don't get a response from the Princess in ten minutes, get everypony out of town. They should all be at city hall… Please."

Spike simply nodded as he watched her bolt out the door. As soon as she was gone, he got to work.

/

Alex had moved toward the Ursa, hoping that he could keep it away from Ponyville. He didn't know what he was going to do when it finally reached him. He just hoped that Twilight would be here by then, and they could work together on stopping it.

Unfortunately for Alex, the Ursa started to speed up. It almost seemed like it had finally worked up the courage to charge him.

Readying a spell, Alex waited for the Ursa to get just the right distance. Then, just as the bear got within a hundred feet of him, Alex cast the most powerful barrier spell he knew, causing the beast to hit it hard, and stumble backward, then and fall over.

Alex suddenly felt a sharp stabbing pain in his head. His spell had held up, but it took a lot of energy to do so. He remembered Twilight mentioning how certain spells would continue to draw energy from their casters, until the caster stopped the spell themself, or the caster ran out of energy to support the spell. So, every time the Ursa hit his barrier, he would lose a significant amount of energy. He'd have to find another way of doing this.

Roaring loudly, the Ursa righted itself, and slowly walked up to the barrier Alex had cast. Making a couple of light hits to the shield, the Ursa decided to use brute force to break it down.

Alex watched as the bear lifted its monstrous paw into the air, and prepared to strike his shield. Seeing how much force the Ursa was going to put into its strike, he got an idea.

As soon as the Ursa threw its massive arm toward the shield, Alex released the spell, giving the monster nothing to catch itself on. It's entire body followed it's paw, and it fell forward on to its stomach, causing the ground to shake violently.

Standing his ground, Alex watched as the Ursa stood up, angrier than it had been before, which, really wasn't a surprise.

Deciding to try another method, the bear uprooted a tree from the ground, and threw it at Alex with all of its might.

Focusing on the fast approaching tree, Alex cast a levitation spell, causing the tree to stop dead in its tracks.

With a sigh of relief, Alex lowered the tree to the ground. However, his relief was short lived, as another tree was already on its way. And unfortunately, he wasn't prepared for this one. As the tree quickly approached him, he closed his eyes, and focused all of his energy in an act of desperation. Then, with a deafening 'boom' a lightning bolt fired out of his horn, destroying the tree that had been thrown at him, and blasting the Ursa straight in the chest.

Collapsing, Alex fought the urge to lose consciousness. Weakly looking up, he saw the Ursa clutching its chest in pain. However, it wasn't down for the count yet.

Seeing that Alex was on the ground, the beast snorted, and started to move toward him. He was an easy target now.

The Ursa started to pick up steam as it got closer to the collapsed Alex. It was only a few steps away from the helpless pony when a sudden force kept it from continuing.

Alex meekly looked behind him, and saw Twilight with a very angry look on her face.

With every step forward that Twilight took, the Ursa was forced a step back, as if there was some kind of invisible mass that only she could move.

Then, casting another spell, Twilight teleported Alex and herself behind a bush that was nearby. Hopefully this would confuse the Ursa long enough for her to help Alex.

"Are you okay?" Twilight whispered to the still collapsed Alex, sounding extremely concerned.

"Y-Yeah…" Alex said quietly. "I just… Used up all I had with that one spell"

Twilight had seen him cast it. It had amazed her that he was able to do that without passing out altogether.

"Twilight… We can't let the Ursa get in to town…" Alex said, slowly standing himself up. "We've got to stop it…"

"Not 'we'" Twilight said. "You don't have the energy to keep this up. You stay here. I'll try to hold it off until the Princess gets here."

"The Princess is on her way?" Alex asked.

"Well… I HOPE she is…" Twilight said, praying that Spike had gotten through to her.

/

Spike threw the scroll into the air, and sent it away in a wisp. But a few seconds of waiting, he still got nothing.

Spike had been sending as many scrolls as he possibly could to Celestia, but had received no response. Both he and Twilight knew that the Princess was a heavy sleeper. He was afraid that she would sleep through it, and find out in the morning, when it was too late.

It had been ten minutes. And Spike knew that he was supposed to leave. But, he couldn't do it. Not yet. There had to be something he could do to help… He wished that Twilight had the elements of harmony with her here in Ponyville. Then they could use those to defeat the Ursa. The last time they had used the Elements, they had…

THAT gave Spike an idea.

Writing another letter as quickly as he could, Spike rolled it up and focused. He was about to try something he had never tried before. He was going to try to send the scroll to somepony else.

Taking a breath in, Spike said a silent prayer, then blew his fire on the scroll, sending it away.

That was all he could do.

Running out the door, Spike ran toward the town hall. He knew everypony would be gathered there. He had to follow Twilights instructions, and get them out.

/

Touching her horn to his, Twilight transferred a small portion of her energy to Alex, giving him the strength to move around properly.

"Now go," Twilight instructed, "I'll handle this."

"But—"

Before Alex was able to say anything, Twilight teleported herself away from the bush, and back to the Ursa, that was still looking for them.

Seeing Twilight appear, the bear roared at her and started charging her.

Casting the same spell that she had before, she placed the force in between them. The Ursa was annoyed at this, and tried it's hardest to move, but just couldn't do it. Twilight was confident that this spell would hold the Ursa in place. Unfortunately, that was her fatal error.

Suddenly, The Ursa started pushing harder than it had before. Twilight didn't know where it was getting this strength from, but it was closing the distance between them, crushing the mass that she had been using to protect her.

With every inch the Ursa got closer, Twilight felt herself grow weaker. She tried her best to keep the spell up, but the bear was too strong. She knew she had to stop the spell. So, closing her eyes, she removed the invisible mass, and tried to give herself a moment to breathe.

Unfortunately, as soon as the force disappeared, the Ursa charged Twilight, something she hadn't expected it to do. Quickly erecting a barrier in front of her, she stopped the bear again, only a few feet away from her.

Knowing that this pony wouldn't be able to simply make this barrier disappear the same way the other one had, the Ursa started to smash on Twilights barrier relentlessly.

With each pound, Twilight felt herself grow weaker and weaker. She knew she couldn't keep this up. Her shield was going to fail soon. And then, well… hopefully Spike had gotten everypony away to safety.

Alex watched helplessly as the Ursa mercilessly attacked Twilights shield. He hated that he was so weak. He hated that she was doing instead of him. He would have given anything to swap places with her.

Then, finally, the barrier cracked, and shattered. Leaving Twilight exposed. The Ursa panted excitedly at the loss of her protection.

Alex was shocked to see Twilight collapse on the ground, unconscious. He had to do something. He decided to try and cast something, so he clamped his eyes shut, and focused. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't cast anything. He was dry.

Opening his eyes, he saw the Ursa prepare itself to strike her. Closing his eyes again, Alex futilely tried to cast another spell. But was still unsuccessful. He could feel the tears start to fall down his cheeks as he opened his eyes again. It was over.

The Ursa threw it's paw down at the helpless pony, but, an inch before it hit her, it was stopped.

Alex didn't know where the magic had come from, but the aura around the Ursa was the same purple that Twilight's spells had when she cast them. But it wasn't her. So who was it?

"Trixie does NOT appreciate you trying to hurt this pony." The Blue pony said as it walked from the town.

Alex watched in amazement, as the last pony he expected to be here, showed up.

Trixie walked into the open field, and kept a brave face. The truth was, she was petrified. This beast was even larger than the Ursa Major she had claimed to have defeated. But if this bear hurt Twilight, she would never get the rematch she deserved.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie will give you one warning." Trixie bluffed convincingly.

Shifting its focus away from Twilight, The Ursa Major started walking toward Trixie, who was now starting to show her fear by shaking lightly.

Alex knew this wasn't good. Twilight was more powerful than Trixie, and the Ursa had zero trouble knocking her out. Knowing full well that it was most likely a death sentence, Alex decided to give them an opportunity to escape.

Running out from behind the bush Twilight had put him behind, Alex called, "Hey! Over here!"

Turning its head again, the Ursa saw the pony that it REALLY wanted. The one that had hurt it with that lightning bolt.

Immediately forgetting Trixie and Twilight, the Ursa started running straight for Alex.

"Get Twilight out of here!" Alex shouted as he ran in the opposite direction.

Quickly following his command, Trixie ran over to Twilight and teleported the two of them away.

Running as fast he could, Alex crossed the large field that ran between Ponyville and The Everfree Forest. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, all that he knew was that a giant bear was following him, and it wanted to kill him.

The Ursa was close behind him. The shaking caused by its stomping was almost enough to make him fall over. He wished he could fly right now more than anything.

Accepting his fate, Alex decided to go out thinking about his friends.

Well, he had had a good time in this world. It may have been short lived, but at least he had saved Twilight. That was all that mattered. She was much more important to this world than he was. He was new here, so he wouldn't be missed much. He wasn't sure if this place was even real, maybe he would just wake up in bed. Or maybe he would die, and go to cartoon heaven, or even cartoon hell…

Stopping his train of thought for a moment, Alex was a little confused. He thought he'd have been eaten by now. In fact, the stomping had stopped altogether.

Coming to a stop, Alex turned around, and was surprised to see that the Ursa was suspended in mid-air, fast asleep.

"Wha… What?" Alex stammered.

"Alex!" An excited voice called to him.

Looking to the sky, Alex saw a dark purple pony with both wings and a horn. And to top it all off, she had a flowing purple and blue mane. Princess Luna.

"Are you alright?" Luna asked, landing beside him.

"I'm a little exhausted… but yeah." Alex panted, noticing how much Luna had grown since the last time he had seen her. She was only slightly smaller than him now. "How did you know this was happening…?"

"I received a letter from Spike requesting my assistance." Luna explained. "I left as soon as I read it."

"Well, you showed up right in the nick of time." Alex said gratefully. "I'd be bear food if it weren't for you."

"Which would have been very unpleasant I imagine." Luna said with a smile.

"Well, it's certainly not my idea of a good time!" Alex said, laughing slightly.

"Why don't you return to your friends?" Luna said, "I will deal with the Ursa Major. Then return at dawn with my sister to discuss the incident."

Alex nodded as he watched Luna take off, levitating the massive bear with her, as if it weighed nothing.

Turning around, Alex walked back to town. He could imagine that everypony would want an explanation. So, as he walked back into town, he thought about just what he was going to say.

/


	13. The Morning After

/

The Morning After

/

Twilight felt her world slowly coming back to her. She didn't know where she was… she couldn't remember what had happened… but the one thing she was aware of, was how much her head hurt. She never wanted to open her eyes again. She felt like she could just lie here in bed for the rest of her life.

Trying her best to remember what had happened to her, Twilight tried to work her way through what had happened the day before. She had been practicing magic with Spike, when that pony, Trixie showed up, and embarrassed her friends.

So… Twilight got up and decided to put a stop to her boasting by challenging her. And, of course, she won.

After a slew of 'congratulations' from her friends, Twilight went home, wanting to look something up.

What had that been? It had been something Trixie had mentioned. She claimed to have saved Hoofington from some kind of beast.

The Ursa Major!

Snapping her eyes open, Twilight looked around. She was in her bed, and looking out the window, she saw that it was only just dawn.

Twilight couldn't remember what had gotten her here. She had saved Alex from the Ursa Major. She instructed him to stay hidden while she kept it at bay with a powerful spell while she waited for Princess Celestia. But her magic hadn't worked, and her barriers had started to fail her.

That was the last thing she could remember.

Obviously somepony had stopped the Ursa, and saved her life.

So, Twilight decided to go figure out what had happened.

/

Walking downstairs to the main section of the Library, Twilight saw Spike sitting at the table, next to Alex, who was resting his chin on the table.

"Spike…" Alex groaned, "Are you sure that Aspirin doesn't exist here?"

"I'm pretty sure!" Spike said, "You're gonna have to wait for Twilight or one the Princess' to help you with your headache."

"The Princess' are coming?" Twilight almost shouted, announcing her presence, as she moved over to the table.

"Twilight!" Alex and Spike both said, happy to see her awake.

Hopping off his chair, Spike ran over to Twilight and hugged her. "We were so worried!"

"What happened…? Why are the Luna and Celestia coming from Canterlot?" Twilight asked, not liking how uninformed she was.

"Well, how much do you remember from last night?" Alex asked, temporarily ignoring the throbbing in his skull.

"I can remember up to my magic failing…" Twilight recalled. "The Ursa Major ran at me… started trying to break my shield… Then my magic started weakening, and that's it..."

Glad that she remembered so much, Alex started to explain.

"Well, after your shield failed, The Ursa had every intention of squishing you." Alex said, noticing the look of horror on Twilight's face. "But… But it didn't! Obviously…"

"What stopped it?" Twilight asked, knowing that Alex had been in no position to help her last night. "Did Princess Celestia show up?"

"No quite," Alex continued. "Before the Ursa was about to… *ahem* dispatch you… Trixie stopped it."

This surprised Twilight. "Trixie?"

"Yeah," Alex said, understanding her surprise. "She showed up, and managed to distract The Ursa Major enough for it to forget about you."

"Did Trixie stop it?" Twilight asked.

"No. That was Luna." Alex said.

"Princess Luna?" Twilight asked, only getting more confused.

"Okay, let me keep going," Alex said, "As soon as the Ursa started approaching Trixie, I got its attention, and made it start chasing after me instead. I guess that a lightning bolt to the chest is enough to make me the one it wanted." He continued. "So, I told Trixie to get you out of there, and she teleported the two of you away."

"What about you?" Twilight asked.

"Well… Let's just say I wasn't expecting the cavalry to show up at that point. I was just giving everypony time to get out of town, by leading the Ursa away from the town." Alex said, "If Luna hadn't shown up and stopped the Ursa, I'd probably be bear food right now."

"But… How did Luna know? Celestia would have come herself if she got Spikes letters!" Twilight said.

"She never got them," Alex said, "Spike managed to get one to Luna instead. So, she showed up, dealt with the Ursa, and told me that her and Celestia would come by today to discuss what had happened, then she left."

"You really did that Spike?" Twilight asked, baffled.

"Yeah… I was about to give up, but I decided to try sending to Luna instead of Celestia, since I knew she would actually see it." Spike said.

Twilight was impressed. She remembered how much trouble Spike used to have just sending the scrolls to Celestia. But he had managed to focus on somepony else, and send it to them on his first try. Twilight was about to congratulate him, when she noticed something on his forehead. "Is that lipstick, Spike?"

"Oh yeah!" Spike said, "That was the best part of the whole night! After Rarity ran off with her green hair, I tried to make her feel better, and she kissed me!"

Twilight wasn't sure where Spike's priorities were, if that's how he felt about yesterday. "So… You performed a miracle by sending a letter to Luna, you saved Alex's life, and you even kept the whole town from being destroyed by a rampaging bear… But a kiss from Rarity was still the best part?"

"Definitely!" Spike said with a dreamy smile, thinking back to her.

Laughing, Twilight turned her attention back to Alex. "What happened after Luna saved you? What happened with Trixie?"

"Oh yes." Alex said. "I wasn't there for the whole time... But I'm sure Spike could fill you in."

"Oh yeah! Sure!" Spike began, "Well… After I finished writing Luna the letter, I ran to the town hall…"

As Spike gave his recount of what happened, Alex was able to piece together what had happened to the both of them.

/

Spike ran through the town, toward the distant town hall. He could hear the commotion from quite a distance away. It was obvious that everypony was already there; he just had to make sure that they knew what was happening, and what they should be doing about it.

Finally arriving, Spike saw that the mayor was trying her best to calm the crowd, but was having little luck doing so.

"Spike!" Rainbow Dash shouted over the loud crowd, landing next to Spike, "What's happening? Where's Twilight and Alex?"

"If you can get everypony to shut up, I can tell you!" Spike shouted to her.

Nodding, Rainbow watched as Spike ran up to the podium, and waited for Dash to get the attention drawn to him. Flying up to the nearest dark cloud, She dragged it down until it was just over the crowd, and when Spike gave her a 'thumbs up' she bucked the black cloud with her hind legs, causing a loud bang of thunder to erupt from it.

Immediately, everypony was shocked into silence, and Spike had his chance to speak up.

"Everypony listen!" Spike shouted, as the crowed did what they were told. "The ground shaking is from a monster called an Ursa Major! And we need to get as far away from Ponyville as possible, until help arrives!"

The crowd started to murmur after hearing this.

"But, I saw Twilight going toward it!" A pony called from the crowd.

"She'll be able to deal with it, right?" Another one shouted form the back.

Spike frowned. After Twilights display earlier with Trixie, they thought she could do anything. Even Spike would have believed that she would have been able to. But, upon seeing the look on her face earlier when he had told her about the Ursa Major, he knew she wasn't strong enough to beat it.

"Well-" Spike said, trying to find the right words, but, almost on queue he was cut off by a bright flash of light appear in the middle of the crowd.

As quickly as it appeared, the light vanished, leaving an unconscious Twilight and an exhausted Trixie in its place.

"Twilight?" Spike said, running over to her.

"She's alright… Trixie saved her." Trixie said, exhausted.

"What about Alex?" Spike said desperately.

Trixie remained silent.

"Well?" Spike shouted.

"He- He got its attention so we could escape…" Trixie said slowly, "But there's no way he could have kept away from it… It was too fast…"

Everypony immediately understood what she was implying, and it swept across the group instantly.

The sad mood within the crowd was so strong, that nopony had noticed the distant stomping from the Ursa had stopped. Several minutes of silence passed before anything was said.

"What should we do then?" A pony shouted from the crowd.

"Should we get out of town?" Another pony asked, looking back and forth between Trixie and Spike.

As the crowd tried to figure out what to do, Rainbow Dash stood at the back, resisting the urge to cry. She had liked Alex. He was so different from everypony else. He was the kind of stallion that she had always secretly wanted to find. Even though she had just become friends with him, the way he made her stammer was all the evidence she needed.

And with that thought, she was crying.

Dash was so involved in her emotions, that she didn't notice the pony that was now standing beside her, looking concerned.

"Hey, Colors… What's wrong?" Alex said.

Turning to look at him, Dash stared wide eyed, and slack jawed.

"Uh…" Alex said, knowing that he had missed something, "The Ursa Major is gone! Princess Luna took it away! …Is that way you were sad?"

"You're… Alive?" Dash squeaked, in a higher pitch than she normally spoke.

"I… I think so…" Alex said, noticing that just about the whole crowd was staring at him now.

"Alex!" Spike called, running though the group toward Alex. "You're not dead!"

So they thought he was dead. It made sense. The last thing Trixie had seen was him running away from a very scary, and VERY fast monster.

Alex's train of thought was interrupted by Spike jumping and wrapping his arms around his neck. Releasing him after a moment.

Alex was quickly approached by several more ponies from the crowd, who were thanking him, congratulating him, and asking him questions about what had happened. He was a little baffled at all the attention, but still enjoyed everypony thinking he was some kind of hero.

Deciding that an unconscious Twilight probably shouldn't just be left on the ground, Trixie decided to teleport herself and Twilight to the Library, and leave Alex to his moment in the spotlight.

Finally, after ten or so minutes, the number of ponies in the crowd thinned, until, besides a few others, Rainbow Dash and Alex were the only ones left in front of the town hall.

While everypony had been talking to him, Rainbow had simply stood in the same place and stared at him.

"Are you feeling better, Colors?" Alex asked, taking a step toward her.

Dash hated this. Alex was capable of putting her into moods that she didn't even know existed. She wanted to smack him, hug him, yell at him, and then kiss him. Of course, she opted for none of the above. Walking closer to him, she exhaled sharply. "Don't EVER do that again." She threatened.

"I won't, I promise." Alex said with a smile. "Life sure would be boring without me around, huh?

"Who would I have to get mad at?" Dash said starting to smile. "Besides! I plan on training you to be the second best flyer in Equestria! I can't have you dying on me before that happens!"

"Second best?" Alex asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Next to ME of course." Dash said with a smirk.

"Of course." Alex replied with a smile.

"I was thinking… How would you like to start training tomorrow?" Dash asked.

"That'd be great!" Alex said, flaring his wings "I've been dying to learn how to use these babies!"

"Good!" Dash said, suddenly taking a serious tone. "So you'd better make sure you're rested! Because this isn't going to be easy!"

"I look forward to it," Alex said, hoping that he would be as much of a natural with flying as he was with magic. "But, I'd better go get some sleep if I plan on having the energy whatsoever. So… Goodnight?"

"Goodnight," Dash said back to him smiling, as she watched him start walking away. "Oh, Alex! Thanks for protecting the town. Not just anypony would do that…"

"Well, I'm not just 'anypony,' now am I?" Alex said, looking back to her and winking.

The only thing dash could think was, 'He sure isn't.'

/

"And that's how you got back here!" Spike said, snapping Alex out of his flash back.

"That's a very interesting story, Spike." A voice said from the front door.

All turning to face the door, Twilight, Spike, and Alex watched as Princess Celestia, followed by Princess Luna walked through the front door of the Library.

"But… I'm afraid we'll have to save the discussion of last night for later." Princess Celestia said, with a touch of concern in her voice.

"Why?" Twilight asked, "Has something happened?"

"I'm guessing none of you have been outside yet this morning?" Celestia asked the three.

Shaking their heads in unison, Princess Celestia gestured to the front door.

Alex walked with Twilight and Spike to the door, confused about what it was that they were going to see.

"Oh." Alex said, seeing the huge plume of black smoke was on its way toward Ponyville.

"What's causing that?" Spike asked Celestia.

"A dragon had decided to use Equestria for its nap." Celestia explained.

Alex wasn't sure why that was a BAD thing. A bit of smoke wouldn't hurt anypony. Especially since the dragon was only taking a nap.

"And, as you know, a sleeping dragon can sleep for more than 100 years." Celestia continued.

That made much more sense. 100 years would probably leave Equestria uninhabitable. So, deciding to try and look smart, Alex simply nodded, as if he knew that from the beginning.

"Normally, I would ask you to deal with this situation, having full confidence in the ability of you and your friends of course… But perhaps you're not in the best position after last night…" Celestia said, trying to think of another way to take care of that dragon.

"Oh no, Princess!" Twilight said, not wanting to disappoint her mentor. "We can definitely do that for you!"

Celestia wasn't sure. She knew Twilight wasn't at full strength after the battle last night. If she could, Celestia would have tried to reason with the dragon herself. But, she would be needed in Canterlot to prevent everypony from panicking. If only there was some way to give her some extra protection.

"Sister," Luna said finally speaking up, seeing the conflict Celestia was having. "Perhaps if I were to accompany them, I could make sure everything goes accordingly."

"Are you sure?" Celestia asked, surprised, but happy with Luna's offer.

"I do not wish to see Twilight Sparkle and her friends hurt." Luna explained. "I am sure you want the same."

"Of course," Celestia said smiling and nodding. "Twilight, please gather your friends. You should head out immediately."

Nodding, Twilight ran out the door. She had so many questions about the night before that Spike hadn't answered with his explanation. But, they would have to wait.

/


	14. Luna Shy

/

Chapter 9

Luna Shy

/

"Alright everypony!" Twilight said to her friends that were lined up in front of the library, walking back and forth in front of them. "Princess Celestia has given us the task of encouraging a dragon to leave Equestria!"

In front of her stood: Alex, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.

"Now, I know that quite a bit went on last night but…" Twilight stopped, upon noticing the missing pony. "Where's Fluttershy?"

Looking around, Alex was completely baffled. Fluttershy had just been standing beside him.

"Fluttershy?" Everypony called, looking around for her.

Looking up in the sky, Rainbow Dash noticed something odd about a cloud that was floating away from them. It had a pink tail.

"Oh no, you don't!" Dash said, flying up to the cloud, and pushing it aside, revealing Fluttershy with a weak smile on her face.

"Come on Fluttershy!" Twilight said, "We need to be serious here! Equestria is in real danger, and you're ability to communicate with animals is vital to our success!"

Fluttershy looked around nervously. Everypony was counting on her. But she couldn't go face a DRAGON! She was horrified at even the thought of an encounter with one of those. There wasn't a single thing in Equestria that scared her more than a dragon. Well, nothing except—

"Hello everypony!" Princess Luna called from the front door of the library, taking a step out. "Are we ready to begin our quest?"

Fluttershy's eye's immediately widened. Nothing scared her more than Night Mare Moon. Not even a dragon. She knew that Princess Luna had changed back, and was good now. But, it wasn't as easy to stop being afraid as it was to start.

"Just about!" Twilight said happily, "I just need to fill everypony in!"

"Very well," Luna said, walking over to join the line of ponies. "Please continue!"

"So!" Twilight began, pointing to a picture of a mountain that she had set up behind her. "We're going to start on the eastern most side, and we're going to work our way up the path on the far left."

Twilight went on to explain their plan in great detail, showing the precise route they would take, when they would stop for breaks, and how they were going to deal with the dragon.

"And, if we aren't able to convince the dragon to go peacefully, Princess Luna will deal with the dragon herself, the same way she did with the Ursa Major." Twilight finished. "Any questions?"

Raising a hoof, Fluttershy tried to keep herself composed as everypony looked at her. "Well! It didn't sound like I was very important in your plans… So I'd better just go home!"

"Of course we need you!" Twilight said, confused. "I said that, didn't I? Maybe I should start my briefing over again if I missed a few things…"

"No!" Dash said, slightly annoyed," You said it! Fluttershy is just being a scaredy-pony!"

"Come on sugar cube," Applejack said. "There ain't nothin' to be frightened of!"

"Precisely," Rarity said, putting a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. "Princess Luna will make sure nopony gets hurt, she IS a princess you know."

Fluttershy knew that there was no fighting this, so, she nodded meekly, and decided to try her best to tough it out.

"Wonderful!" Luna said lifting a hoof into the air. "Let us begin!"

/

The group traveled to the as fast as they could, wanting to get this issue over and done with. Unfortunately, Fluttershy had slowed down more and more until Dash was forced to push her along behind everypony. Until, finally, they reached the mountain.

Pulling out the map from her saddle bag, Twilight examined the route she had set, as everypony chatted loudly.

"Okay everypony!" Twilight said, getting the groups attention. "We need to head up this slope here. If we follow it up high enough, the ground will start to level off, and we can take a break there."

Nodding in agreement, Everypony started walking up the slope. However, it wasn't long before Alex noticed somepony missing.

"Uhh, Fluttershy?" Alex said trying to find her, as the group continued stopped with him. Luckily, he could see a shaking bush at the bottom of the mountain, with a pink tail. "You're not very good at hiding, you know that?"

Poking her head up from behind the bush, Fluttershy looked at the cliff and shook her head. "It's too steep…"

"Come on Fluttershy!" Twilight encouraged, "Why don't you just fly up here then?"

Looking at her wings, Fluttershy decided to give it a try. Slowly spreading her wings, she flapped weakly, and started to ascend the cliff.

Making her way up slowly, Fluttershy decided to stop just above Alex so she could follow close behind him. Unfortunately, a loud snore from the napping dragon caused the entire mountain to shake, making her wings instinctively close.

Alex looked up and gulped as Fluttershy fell from the sky, and landed right on top of him. He was happy that she was a light pony, otherwise he might have snapped in half.

"Just… wait…!" Alex said, thinking of another way to get Fluttershy of the mountain without having to carry her. Finally, he got an idea.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Alex lifted Fluttershy off his back with his magic, happy that he had recovered enough from the night before. "Alright you guys, let's go!"

Everypony laughed as Alex trotted up the steep hill with a levitated Fluttershy just in front of him.

Fluttershy hoped that she wouldn't be held too close to the princess. Luna was half the reason that she had been hiding behind the bush.

Looking back at Alex, Luna couldn't help but be surprised at seeing him use magic so easily. Celestia had told her of his remarkable progress in his magic studies. Twilight had included an update on his progress every time she wrote a letter to Celestia, and it seemed like Alex was reaching another magical milestone every time Twilight wrote.

"Alex is truly remarkable with his magic," Luna said, catching up to Twilight.

"You're telling me!" Twilight said, "He's bypassed everything I had planned to teach him this year! I don't think anypony has EVER learned this fast!"

Luna nodded in agreement. Even Celestia and herself had taken years of study to become the powerful goddesses they were now. If his speed was any indicator, Alex could become the strongest spell caster Equestria had ever seen. That is, if he stayed in Equestria.

"How long do you think it will be before he is capable of going home?" Luna asked curiously.

Twilight thought about the question. It would be soon. Sooner than anypony thought.

"A year. Maybe less." Twilight said simply. "He'll be gone very soon."

/

After a half hour of scaling, the group finally reached the flat area Twilight had described.

Everypony sat down in a small circle as Rarity and Pinkie Pie started handing out snacks for them to eat.

Walking over to a gap in the circle, Alex lightly put the frightened Fluttershy down, and walked over to the other side to sit in another gap.

Sitting down between Rainbow and Luna, Alex couldn't help but be curious at how different Luna had become. She was a very different pony than the one he had met when he first arrived in Equestria.

"Luna," Alex said, getting her to turn and face him, "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions…?"

Luna wasn't surprised. She had expected some questions about her rapid changes.

"Of course," Luna said, "I presume you wish to know why I have grown so much, correct?"

"Well, that, and why you're talking to differently…" Alex said, completely confused over her transformation. "That isn't another thing about this world, is it? Do ponies just grow randomly?"

"Of course not!" Luna said, laughing. "My body has been rapidly adjusting to the size it used to be. I may be a rather small pony now, but in a few years, I will be the same size as my sister."

"Okay…" Alex said, taking it all in. "But what about the way you talk? You seemed to talk normally when you first changed back… What's changed that?"

"Well, my sister suggested that I take a… refresher course on royalty, if you will." Luna explained. "An instructor is teaching me all the proper ways for a Princess to act. However, she seems to be set in the old ways."

Twilight cocked an eyebrow, "How so?"

"Well, she insists that I speak properly. Making sure to say words like 'thou' and 'thee.'" Luna said, sounding slightly frustrated. "But I do not seem to be able to get it. She says that I have made progress in my speech… But I still have lots of work to do."

"And that's why you sound so… Awkward?" Alex asked, trying to put it as delicately as possible, but still earning death-glares from the girls around him.

"Precisely," Luna said. "I have even been told that I should speak in something she calls 'The Royal Canterlot Voice.'"

"And… What is that?" Twilight asked, confused.

"IT IS WHEN I SPEAK LOUDLY ENOUGH FOR ALL OF MY SUBJECTS TO HEAR ME, SO THEY UNDERSTAND THAT I AM A RULER OF EQUESTRIA!" Luna bellowed, causing the ponies around her to recoil.

A few moments of silence passed until Rarity spoke up.

"Well… That was… Unpleasant…" Rarity said, laughing nervously.

"I agree." Luna said sadly. "Why would anypony enjoy that? And yet, I am expected to speak this way…"

"Well, you don't need to talk that way around US princess!" Pinkie said.

"Exactly! It's just us girls!" Rarity said with a wink, then turning to Alex. "Well, MOST of us, anyway."

"Oh, I can be a girl!" Alex said, "Like, I LOVE Twilight!"

The group stared at Alex. He had made himself a very awkward situation, and didn't even know why.

It took Alex a moment to realize that Twilight was both the name of a girly book series AND the name of one of his friends.

"Oh!" Alex said, finally understanding. "It's a book series back in my world. It's called Twilight! A lot of girls love it, and guys generally don't. So… Yeah…"

Everypony remained silent.

"Fine… I guess I'm no good at being a girl," Alex sighed. "I'll just… Go over there."

And with that, Alex stood up, and walked away from the group, and then, plopped himself down a few meters away, and pretended to start sobbing.

The girls laughed at his dramatics. Even Fluttershy stopped being scared for a moment so she could chuckle along with them. Eventually the laughing died down, and Alex rejoined the group.

"Well… If you're sure you don't mind!" Luna said, happy to have an opportunity to talk normally again. "I'll talk normally around you guys from now on!"

The group ate their lunch while they Listened to Luna describe her day to day life in Canterlot, and how all of her royal duties left her little time for herself. She even confessed that her coming along with them was just an excuse to get away from everything for a little while.

After finishing their lunch, everypony decided to continue their ascent. Unfortunately for Fluttershy, when Alex levitated her off the ground, she was stuck floating right next to Princess Luna.

Fluttershy had to work to keep herself from shaking too hard. All of this was too much for her… getting stuck next to Night Mare Moon, AND being on her way to face a dragon was terrible for her. She wanted to fly away and never look back. But, she knew that her friends were counting on her, and would be disappointed if she left. So, she had to hope that nothing worse than this would happen, Because she knew that she would be gone as soon as it did.

/

The group continued further up the mountain. And luckily, because Alex was levitating Fluttershy, they made great time. They walked along narrow paths, jumped over pits, and even crossed avalanche danger zones. All things that Fluttershy knew she would have had trouble with. Unfortunately, after all that scaling, they finally reached the summit. And Fluttershy knew what that meant.

Dragon time.

Everypony lined up to face the cave, and Twilight stood in front of the line, facing them.

"Alright everypony!" Twilight announced, "We're all going to try our best to get this dragon to leave peacefully! We're going to going to do this exactly as I outlined."

"Let me at 'em!" Dash said, hovering herself a few inches above the ground, then gunning straight toward the opening of the cave.

"That's not how we're doing this Rainbow!" Twilight said, using a spell to keep Dash's tail held in place, stopping her before she was able enter. "If we make it angry, things will just get worse!"

"But… I'm not good at… Talking!" Dash said desperately.

"Well… Maybe you should sit this one out then." Twilight said, laughing.

Dash looked around, seeing everypony shake their heads in agreement, she sighed, then flew herself behind the group and landed in a huff. "Fine!"

"I'll go first," Twilight said chuckling. "Figure out who wants to go next, in case I'm not able to convince him."

After a short discussion, everypony decided on an order: Twilight, then Rarity, then Pinkie, then Applejack, then Alex, then Fluttershy, then, finally, Luna.

Fluttershy's heart pounded as she watched each of her friends go in, and come out without any luck. Twilight had asked nicely, Rarity had appealed to the dragon's vanity, Pinkie had tried to share a laugh with it, and Applejack explained what damage his nap would do to Equestria. All of which failed.

Finally, it was Alex's turn.

Gulping, he looked around at his friends, who gave him some encouraging cheers. Everypony else had come out fine, so there really wasn't much to be afraid of. But still, there was one thing that he knew would keep him in high spirits.

"Wanna come in with me Colors?" Alex asked Dash as he walked toward the entrance.

"Aww yeah!" Dash said, trying not to sound too excited, as she ran to catch up with him.

"Remember Rainbow!" Twilight called, "Be NICE!"

"Yeah yeah." Dash said dismissively. "I'll let Alex take the lead."

"Good luck you two!" Rarity called as the pair walked into the cave.

"Are you ready to go next Fluttershy?" Twilight asked the pony who had been hiding behind a rock with her tail sticking out.

"Um… Can I… not?" Fluttershy asked, praying that they could just skip her turn.

"Of course not!" Twilight said, "You're the best one here with animals. It'll be easy! Besides, when Luna takes the dragon away, it WON'T be happy about it! And nopony wants that!"

"I— I…" Fluttershy stammered looking back and forth. Everypony was looking at her, expecting her to go and fix this problem. But she couldn't.

She just couldn't.

So, she did the only thing she could think of. She ran in the opposite direction, and flew away.

/

Alex and Dash walked through the dark cavern toward a dim light a short distance away. From the descriptions the other ponies had given them, they were expecting a pile of treasure, with a large sleeping dragon next to it.

"So… what exactly are you going to say to it..?" Dash asked.

"I really don't know," Alex answered. "Maybe it'll leave if I let it have you!"

"Oh, I get it! THAT'S why you wanted me to come along," Dash said sarcastically.

"Yup! That's the ONLY reason!" Alex said looking at her and smiling.

Dash smiled back. "Suuure."

After a couple more minutes of walking, the two finally reached their destination. A large circular chamber with one entrance. On one side of the room was a massive pile of gold and gems, and the other side had a massive red dragon, with a very annoyed look on its face.

"Are you here to harass me too?" The Dragons deep voice sighed.

" 'fraid so," Alex said, laughing nervously. "Is there any chance you'll just go, and save all of us a lot of time?"

The dragon simply shook his head.

"And I'm sure you've heard all of the same things from all of the ponies that have come in here, right?"

Again, the dragon only nodded.

Alex sighed. He wasn't sure what else there was to say.

"If you don't go, we have a pony outside who'll MAKE you go! We have the strongest pony in Equestria with us!" Dash said, not realizing how bad she just made things.

The dragon didn't like that.

"You think I can be MADE to leave?" The dragon boomed.

"No!" Alex said, trying to repair the damage Dash had caused. "We only have that pony here in case things get out of hand! As a safety net!"

"Well, things HAVE gotten out of hand, little pony." The dragon growled. "I'm going to count to five. And you and your friends had best be gone when I reach it."

Alex and Dash looked at each other, then bolted toward the exit.

"I'm sorry I said that!" Dash said, as the two raced toward the exit. "I didn't think he'd get so upset about it!"

"I was going to say it if you hadn't," Alex confessed, "So don't beat yourself up about it."

After five seconds had passed, the two could feel the thumping of the incoming dragon behind them.

Luckily, the dragon wasn't very fast. So they were able to exit the cave well ahead of it.

"Alright Luna!" Alex said quickly. "You're up!"

"What did you do Rainbow?" Twilight shouted.

"It was me," Alex lied. "I mentioned Luna without thinking about it, and now he's REALLY angry!"

"Alright," Luna said, stepping forward. "I'll deal with the beast."

/

Fluttershy couldn't believe she was doing this. She was going back to apologize, and try her best to help, even if she was scared. She knew that abandoning her friends was wrong, but she couldn't help herself. All she needed was a few minutes to calm down, which she had now had.

It was funny that her wings worked perfectly fine when she was running away from danger, but not when she was headed toward it. She just hoped that nothing frightening happened before she was ble to land.

Looking down, she saw that Alex and Rainbow had just come out of the cave. Which meant that it would be her turn next.

Sighing, Fluttershy headed down and landed in the group, with her back to the cave.

"Fluttershy?" Twilight said desperately, "You need to—"

"Wait Twilight!" Fluttershy interrupted, in a very un-Fluttershy like tone. "I need to apologize!"

Everypony stared at Fluttershy in shock. The dragon was standing right behind her at the entrance to the cave, and she had no idea.

"I'm sorry I ran away when you needed me…" Fluttershy said, returning to her normal voice. "The truth is… I was scared of the dragon…"

Luna looked at the massive beast standing behind Fluttershy, and decided that she needed to get herself into attack mode. Dragons have certain resistances to magic that the Ursa Major didn't. She hadn't mentioned this to everypony in the hopes that it wouldn't come to a fight with the dragon. But, it looked like that was unavoidable at this point. The beast wasn't moving right now, but it would be soon.

Fluttershy continued to apologize, and slowly made her way to admitting to Luna that she was afraid of her. So, Fluttershy decided to close her eyes, and just get it out of the way.

Clamping her eye's closed, Fluttershy blurted it all out, "And, I'm also afraid of you Princess Luna! The last time we met… You were Night Mare Moon! And, I know that you're not anymore… But I can't—"

Fluttershy opened her eyes when she heard a strange noise coming from in front of her. Looking ahead, instead of seeing Princess Luna, she saw black smoke. Luna had been completely shrouded in it. Fluttershy wasn't sure what was going on. "Princess…?"

Princess Luna had done something that she knew would be received with mixed reception. She was changing back to the form of Night Mare Moon. She had more power in that form. And looked more intimidating to boot. Even if her friends were scared at first, she would show them that she was on their side immediately.

However, when the smoke cleared, and everypony could see Night Mare Moon, one thing happened that surprised them all.

Fluttershy's eye's expanded to a size that none of them though possible. And, after a moment of her simply shaking in place with her mouth hanging open, she did the first thing that came to her mind.

Turn around, and run away.

And, due to her crippling fear of Night Mare Moon, when Fluttershy turned around and saw the Dragon, she didn't care.

Fluttershy started flying toward the Dragon at an incredible speed, and when she hit the dragon in the stomach, she took the entire beast with her into the cave.

It truly was a sight to be seen. A small yellow pony pushing a fully grown dragon all the way back into a cave, moving at a speed that truly shocked them all.

After a few seconds, everypony lost sight of the small pony and the dragon to the darkness. However, they knew that Fluttershy and the Dragon had hit the wall at the back of the cave, as the entire mountain shook violently.

The next few seconds of silence were agonizing. Nopony knew what had happened. However, their questions were soon answered when the ground started thumping again. The dragon was coming back out. MUCH faster this time.

Luna stood her ground, ready for the fight that was sure to come next.

However, that fight never came, as the dragon came out of the cave, crying its eyes out, and immediately took off and flew away.

"I should have listened to them!" The dragon's voice boomed as it flew away in tears, "She really IS the strongest pony in Equestria!"

Everypony in the group stood in the group stood in a state of shock.

The only one who was able to form words was Alex. "You guys… I think Fluttershy might be the DragonBorn..."

Dash looked at him confused. "The what…?"

Alex was really glad that he wasn't in his world. He would look like a huge dork right now.

"Uh… Never mind."

After the initial shock had passed, the group decided to go in and look for Fluttershy.

Going into the cave, everypony walked down to main chamber where the dragon had been napping.

Looking around, Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen. But, after a few moments, Alex finally spotted her in the huge pile of treasure. He never would have spotted her if her pink tail hadn't been sticking out.

"Fluttershy!" Alex said, levitating her out of the heap of gold. "That was amazing!"

"Night Mare Moon!" Fluttershy screamed immediately upon seeing Luna, who was still in her alternate form.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Luna said, quickly casting the spell to return her to normal. "I didn't turn evil again! I just went into that form so I could deal with the dragon properly!"

"R—Really?" Fluttershy said, still quaking.

"I promise!" Luna said sincerely.

"Well… O—Okay.." Fluttershy said slowly, calming down. "What happened to… Th- The dragon?"

"It ran away!" Pinkie said excitedly.

"Eeyup!" Applejack agreed, "Cryin' like a baby!"

"I had no idea you were so strong, dear!" Rarity added.

"I told you it would be easy!" Twilight said, beaming. "You just… did it a little differently than I thought you would!"

While the group continued to congratulate Fluttershy, Alex leaned over to Dash.

"Maybe she should teach me how to fly." Alex whispered in Dash's ear, earning a smack on the back of the head.

"Come on everypony!" Dash said, speaking up, "Why don't we head home? We can keep talking about how amazing Fluttershy is on the way back!"

Everypony laughed at that as they headed out of the cave.

Walking together at the back of the group, Dash quickly leaned over and kissed Alex on the cheek.

"What was that for?" Alex asked, confused.

"That was for taking the blame for upsetting the dragon…" Dash said, "But don't think it means anything! I was just saying thanks! That's all!"

"I believe you!" Alex said smirking. "Besides, what other reason could there even be?"

"Exactly." Dash said with a wink.

/


	15. The Bad News

/

The Bad News

/

Everypony was feeling great as they arrived back from their removal of the dragon. They had all been talking, laughing, all around having a good time.

After all, they deserved it. They saved Equestria today. The dragon had left; the smoke had all but completely disappeared. Mission accomplished. So, why did Princess Celestia look so grim when they arrived back at the library?

"Please come in," Celestia said in a quiet, yet serious tone. "We have much to discuss."

And just like that, the happy mood that everypony shared was gone, being replaced by one of worry. Celestia hadn't sounded this worried when she told them about the dragon. Not even close.

Celestia remained silent as the group entered the library and gathered around the table she stood behind.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate you on dealing with the dragon." Celestia said, in a very somber tone. "But… I'm afraid that's nothing compared to what we're dealing with right now."

"Sister…" Luna said, returning to her pervious way of talking. "…Have you discovered the root of the unusual happenings around Equestria?"

Celestia nodded.

Twilight had heard of strange things happening around Equestria recently. It had been nothing extreme. The odd loss of gravity, or creatures popping up where they shouldn't. She had just assumed it had been magical pranks, or some animals wandering a bit far from where they should be.

"When Luna made me aware of the Ursa Major attacking Ponyville, I decided to come down and investigate it myself." Celestia said, "And what I found was… What I had hoped I wouldn't."

Everypony listened to her explanation, not daring ask what had been found.

"After you all left this morning, I asked some of the town's residents what they knew about the Ursa Major's attack. And, after questioning a few ponies, I eventually learned about two young colts, who had been seen fleeing the Everfree Forest with the Ursa Major behind them." Celestia said. "So, when I asked them what had happened, I was surprised to hear that they hadn't provoked the creature. It had appeared in front of them, being delivered by a blinding flash of light."

Alex thought for a moment. Hadn't he been brought to this world by a blinding flash of light? However, bright lights were pretty general when it came to magic. So, he decided not to say anything, because they didn't seem likely to be connected, and he had already told Celestia about that light anyway. He was sure that she would have made the connection if there was one to make.

"Next, I went to the place they had described… A rather large clearing in the Everfree forest…" Celestia continued, slowing down, as if she didn't want to get to the end. "And that's where I found… A pink cloud."

"Sister…" Luna said, quietly. "Was it… what I think it is?"

"Yes." Celestia said. "It was cotton candy… And… filled with Chocolate Milk."

Everypony looked back and forth between one another. What could that mean? How could something like that possibly translate to something so terrible?

"That sounds delicious!" Pinkie said, loving the thought of such a thing. "How could that NOT be a good thing?"

"That kind of cloud has only existed at one point in time," Celestia explained. "Thousands of years ago, before Luna and I were the rulers of Equestria, there was a tyrannical beast that kept Equestria in a constant state of chaos... His name was Discord, and cotton candy clouds were his calling card."

Everypony remained completely silent.

"Seeing how miserable everypony was, we knew what we had to do," Celestia continued, "We wielded the Elements of Harmony, and used them to trap Discord in stone, freeing Equestria from eternal chaos."

"Alright Princess!" Dash said excitedly.

"However, since Luna and I have lost our connection to the Elements, I believe that the spell we cast on Discord will soon break, freeing him from his stone prison." Celestia explained.

"But, if he hasn't broken out of stone, how has he made those clouds?" Twilight asked.

Celestia remained silent for a moment, before saying the three words nopony wanted to hear. "I don't know."

"Has the statue cracked at all? Perhaps that is how he has done these things." Luna asked.

"I'm afraid that isn't the case," Celestia answered. "The statue is in the same condition it was in when we first imprisoned him. So, I don't know how he's done it."

"So… We have a bit of a mystery on our hoofs." Twilight said. "How much danger do you think we're in?"

Celestia took a moment to think her response out.

"With the exception of the Ursa Major, nothing too dangerous has occurred." Celestia started. "So, for now, we're going to wait. We'll use the next incidents to measure the danger that he is presenting us with."

Everypony nodded.

"Pardon me, but what should we do if we encounter one of these 'incidents' ourselves?" Rarity asked.

"You should contact us immediately," Celestia said. "Spike has proven that he can send a letter to both Luna and myself, so, have him write if anything happens. One of us will come down to assist you in dealing with the situation, day or night."

"Discord is a very dangerous foe," Luna said, "If any of you are to encounter him directly, you are not to engage him. He has power beyond anything you could fathom."

"What does that mean?" Alex asked, confused.

"Discord doesn't use conventional magic to his means," Luna explained. "He utilizes a very powerful chaotic form of magic that gives him a power nopony should have. He can create or destroy whatever he likes, or he can simply remove gravity... he can even make a pony lose their mind."

"If he's so powerful, how did you even beat him the first time?" Twilight asked, a little hurt that she had never been told this story by Celestia.

"Celestia and I were able to defeat him with a combination of two things," Luna answered, "The Elements of Harmony, and his arrogance."

"Discord didn't expect anything to come of our uprising; we were just 'insignificant ponies' to him." Celestia explained, continuing the story. "He didn't think we would be able to harm him. However, when we used the Elements of Harmony, they rendered his magic useless when he tried to stop us. And, in the end, he wound up stuck in stone."

"How did they stop his magic from working?" Alex asked.

"Harmony brings order to chaos." Celestia said. "When we used the Elements, they completely removed all forms of his chaotic magic, and fixed everything he had done to Equestria."

"So… Can't we just use the Elements again?" Alex asked, "Use them to fix the chaos that's happening now?"

"I'm afraid not," Luna answered. "Without knowing the source of the magic, we can only use the Elements to correct the things as they go wrong. Not stop them from going wrong altogether."

"So, that means you didn't fix the cloud…? Could I just… See it for a second?" Pinkie asked, dying to have a look at it.

"Oh, of course!" Celestia said, not realizing Pinkies ulterior motive.

Concentrating for a moment, Celestia cast a spell, causing the cloud to appear above everypony.

"Here it is," Celestia said. "The work of Discord himself."

Pinkie's mouth watered. She wanted to eat it.

Right now.

So, she did the first thing that she could think of. She Jumped straight at it, mouth wide open, shouting, "I love cotton—"

Alex stared at the cloud, completely unaware of what Pinkie was doing. Something about it seemed… Wrong. Just looking at it caused his head to start ringing.

Looking away from the cloud in an effort to break the effects it had on him, Alex noticed something very strange.

Pinkie hung in midair, unmoving. Looking around the room, Alex noticed that she wasn't the only one that was frozen. Everypony else was completely still too. All of them had the same look of shock on their face at Pinkie's lunge.

Confused, Alex looked back to the cloud to see if it could somehow be the cause. The buzzing returned, and it grew louder and louder until it started to become an audible noise. It was laughter. He could hear somepony, or something, maniacally laughing. He tried to look away again, but found himself unable.

As the laughing increased in volume, Alex started to feel a pressure building in his head. Getting stronger and stronger as the laughing grew louder and louder. Until, finally, the pressure exploded out the end of his horn, in the form of a small sparkling light.

The sparkle slowly made its way toward the cloud, and imbedded itself inside of it. And, after a few moments of still silence, the cloud was suddenly illuminated from the inside by the light.

Alex watched in surprise as the pink dissolved from the cloud, leaving a regular fluffy white one in its place. Silencing the evil laughter, leaving only a fading echo.

"—Candy!" Pinkie finished as the flow of time returned to the world.

However, poor Pinkie didn't get the cotton candy that she had wanted. Instead, she flew straight through the white cloud and slammed into the wall on the other side.

Everypony stared at Alex in shock.

"I… I just…" And with that, one of Alex's eyes twitched, and then, his head slammed down on the table.

He was unconscious.

Again.

/


	16. A Surprise Encounter

/

A Surprise Encounter

/

"How is he?" A voice asked.

Alex stirred momentarily, returning to consciousness, listening to the conversation.

"He'll be fine" a soothing voice said. "He was just exhausted from the fight with Luna."

"Thank goodness!" The first voice, who he identified as Twilight, said, sounding extremely relieved.

"But… as for his missing mark, that is somewhat of a mystery to even me." The second voice said, with a touch of confusion in her voice. "Only he can explain this to us."

"And what about the wings and the horn?" Twilight said, with the confused tone returning to her voice.

"While those normally belong only to royalty, it isn't impossible for somepony to be born with both" The second explained. "However," She began after a pause, "I'm going to head back to the party. Royal duty calls!" She said with a soft laugh.

"Well, I'll stay here until he wakes up. I didn't get a chance to thank him." Twilight said.

Wait a minute. Alex had heard this before… On his first day here.

Suddenly, Alex was feeling very awake.

Sitting up in the bed, Alex looked around, confused.

There was no Twilight. There was no Celestia. He was in his room in the library, alone.

Or so he thought.

"Good. You're awake." A voice echoed through the empty library. "Did you enjoy your little flashback?"

"Who's there?" Alex called, resisting the urge to hide underneath the sheets.

"Oh, where are my manners?" The voice said from the corner of the room.

Alex turned around, looking at where the voice had come from, and again, saw no one.

Turning back, Alex came face-to-face with the beast who he had been speaking with.

"My name is Discord." The beast said to him leaning down to Alex's face, lifting his lion-like paw into the small gap between them.

Alex immediately jumped out of the bed in an effort to put some distance between them. But something was wrong with the way he moved. His hooves weren't doing what he expected them too. And as a result, he fell out of the bed, and landed flat on his face. He looked down at his front legs to see what was wrong with them.

"W—what?" Alex shouted, looking to where he used to be his hoofs, that had now been replaced by hands. "I'm human again?"

"Well, it is YOUR dream." Discord said absent mindedly, as he wandered around the room.

"This… Is a dream?" Alex asked slowly, realizing that out of all the possibilities, this made the most sense.

"Of course it is." Discord said, "After all, how could I possibly talk to you when I'm imprisoned in stone?"

After looking himself over, Alex looked back up to Discord. He wasn't like anything he had seen in this world. He looked like a combination of half a dozen creatures. A pony, a deer, a griffon, a lion, a snake… Celestia had said that Discord was a beast, but he hadn't expected this.

Alex growled. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to have a little chat, Alex!" Discord said innocently. "Why all the hostility?"

"Princess Celestia told me all about you!" Alex said, angrily. "I know all about what you did to Equestria!"

"You make me out to be such a bad guy!" Discord said, "But, the truth is, we're not so different, you and I."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "We're nothing alike."

"Now THAT is where you're wrong." Discord said with a chuckle. "You've caused quite a bit of chaos here since you arrived, isn't that right?"

Alex remained silent.

"Even your Element, 'selflessness' is chaotic by its nature." Discord said with a chuckle. "Just. Like. Me."

"What do you mean…?" Alex asked slowly, not understanding where Discord was coming from.

"There is no such thing as true selflessness," Discord said, suddenly sounding very serious. "You can only be selfish."

"That doesn't make any sense," Alex told him, "Of course selflessness exists!"

"Then tell me, what is selflessness?" Discord said condescendingly. "Since you know SO much more than I do about it."

"It's… It's throwing yourself in harm's way to protect the people… or ponies you care about," Alex explained, "Doing something you don't want to do, so others don't have to."

"Because…?" Discord said, waiting for Alex to say the words he was expecting.

"Because I want everyone… everypony to be safe, even if it means I get hurt!" Alex said, stumbling over his automatic use of 'everyone.'

"There it is!" Discord shouted happily, "Because you WANT them to be safe. That's the key word here!"

"What…?" Alex said, still completely lost.

"How can you be selfless if you WANT your friends to be safe? If what you WANT motivates your actions, doesn't that make you selfish?" Discord asked.

"N—No! It's not the same thing!" Alex answered, starting to understand Discords reasoning.

"Oh, yes it is," Discord said with a smile. "You WANT to help your friends when they need it, you WANT your friends to be happy… It's all about what YOU want, isn't it, Alex?"

Again, Alex remained silent. He simply fiddled with his fingers, enjoying having them back.

"Do you see now?" Discord asked, "The element of selflessness is ACTUALLY the element of selfishness! It can make you greedy, or make you a hero! It can make you anything! It's so deceptive… So chaotic… Or perhaps, Discordic?"

"What do you want?" Alex asked angrily. "Somehow I don't think you're only here to tell me how similar we are!"

"You're right." Discord said. "I am here for something else… I'm here to extend an olive branch."

Discord crossed the room, closing the gap between him and Alex.

"Due to the illusiveness of your element, you have a little string of chaos in you, Alex." Discord said, "That's why you reacted to my cotton candy cloud the way you did."

Alex stayed silent. This was an explanation he wanted to hear.

"The harmonious magic that you ponies use, and a small amount of the chaotic magic that I use, exist together within you. And as a result, they understand each other." Discord explained, "It's like a flu shot. That little bit of chaos in you has helped the rest of your magic understand what its weaknesses are. It knows how to destroy it. So-"

"So, it knows how to destroy you." Alex finished.

Discord narrowed his eyes, "I will be returning to Equestria soon, and I plan on taking back my place as the ruler. I'd prefer that we not be enemies when I do."

"If you plan on taking Equestria back, we will be enemies." Alex said. "And there is nothing you can do to make me your friend."

"Have it your way, pony." Discord growled. "But I am much more powerful than a pink cloud. Do not think it will be easy to stop me."

"And don't think the same about me." Alex said. "I'll keep Equestria safe."

"My, my… Arrogant, aren't we?" Discord said laughing lightly, returning to his previous mood. "Well, I've said all I want, and I'm starting to bore of this dream of yours. So, I'll allow you to wake up."

"Thank you SO much." Alex said sarcastically, again.

"You're very welcome." Discord said with a wink.

Alex suddenly feet woozy… He watched pieces of the library started to disappear from around him. Bit by bit, until almost nothing remained. But, before the last parts faded away, Alex heard one more thing from Discord.

"But be ready though, because you never know when I might drop in again."

/

"So… he just, fell asleep?" Twilight asked.

"That's the best answer I can give you," Luna said, having just finished her examination of Alex. "There's no evidence to suggest that the magic spell he cast is what caused him to lose consciousness… The only feasible answer I can come up with is that something MADE him fall asleep."

Everypony was gathered around Alex, who was still unconscious on the table. Even Spike had come downstairs to check on the commotion.

"Is there any way to wake him?" Dash asked.

"Well, if he doesn't wake up on his own, I can cast a spell that will force him to wake up. However, that will be a last resort." Celestia said.

Spike leaned close to Alex's face and poked his cheek, causing zero change.

"So, we're just going to sit here?" Dash asked, watching Spike poke Alex.

" Eeyup." Applejack answered, also staring at Spike.

"I can't believe he took my cloud away…" Pinkie said from the corner of the room, still saddened by the loss of her cotton candy cloud, as Fluttershy sat next to her, patting her back comfortingly.

"Pinkie, darling!" Rarity said from the table, "I already told you I'd buy you some more cotton candy! Please, come join us!"

Pinkie however, remained silent.

Deciding that he knew the best way to wake Alex, Spike leaned in closer to his face, until he was only an inch away. "ALEX!"

Again, nothing.

"Spike!" Twilight scolded, levitating Spike away from Alex, and putting him on the floor behind her. "You're not helping!"

Spike scoffed.

"So… What happened to Trixie after she teleported me back here?" Twilight asked trying to make a bit of small talk to pass the time.

"She left…" Fluttershy spoke up from the corner. "I saw her quietly pack up and leave after everypony went back to bed… I was surprised she didn't stay around for everypony to thank her…"

Twilight was surprised, Trixie definitely seemed like the type to soak up all of the attention she could possibly get. "Maybe she was still ashamed by her loss."

"If I were her, I would've run away with my tail between my legs!" Dash said angrily, thinking back to her own embarrassment from the night before.

By this time, Spike had made his way back to the sleeping Alex without being seen. Leaning in again he tried to think of a way to wake him. Unfortunately, he didn't have to think for long.

"DISCORD!" Alex shouted sitting up.

Spike yelped in surprise, causing him to breathe a large amount of fire right into Alex's face.

Everypony stood in silence. They had been surprised by Alex as well, but watching him get doused in fire was almost enough to make them all start laughing.

Alex simply sat still. He blinked a few times before remembering that he was a pony again, and that he could easily repair the damage Spike had done.

Shaking his head quickly, Alex shook all of the burn off in a black cloud, returning his face to the solid white it used to be.

"I think I just met Discord!" Alex said.

And, just like that, the humor was gone.

"What happened?" Celestia asked.

"Well, in my dream… it all started with me waking up in my room…"

/

"And then he told me he might visit me again." Alex finished. "I woke up after that."

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both looked at each other, and nodded.

"We apologize for this, but we must leave right away." Luna said.

"From Alex's description, it seems that Discord is more powerful than I first anticipated," Celestia explained, "And if that's the case, preparations must be made in Canterlot immediately."

Everypony looked back and forth between each other nervously.

"Twilight, I'm going to have to ask you to accompany us as well." Celestia added.

Twilight was surprised at this, what possible use could she have in Canterlot? However, she nodded without saying a word, trusting Celestia to know what she was doing.

"Everypony else, please try not to dwell on this information." Celestia said, "Try your best to return to your usual routines while we work this out."

"How can we return to our normal lives, when we know this is happening?" Dash asked.

"I realize that this isn't an easy thing to do, considering the magnitude of what could happen…" Celestia said, "But we know he's coming, and we'll do our best to stop this before it even begins."

"What about Twilight?" Alex asked, "How long will she be gone for? Hay, what is she even going for?"

"She'll be gone no more than a few days," Celestia said, "And… I have an extremely important task that I need to prepare her for."

Twilight stepped forward, in an effort to stop Alex from asking Celestia more questions.

"You can take care of Spike for me, right?" Twilight asked.

"Of course!" Alex said, starting to accept what was happening. "You go do your thing I guess… I'll keep things together on this end."

Everypony watched as Luna and Celestia bowed their heads and started casting a spell. Twilight turned away from Alex to face them.

"Thanks," Twilight said over her shoulder, as she walked forward the Princesses, who were both now looking up, and waiting for Twilight to finish her goodbyes. "Goodbye you guys! Be good Spike!"

"Bye Twilight!" Everypony said in unison, with a smile.

"Farewell, My Little Ponies." Celestia said to the group, seeing that Twilight was finished. "Please, try not to worry about this too much!"

Then, instantly, a bright light enveloped Luna, Celestia, and Twilight.

And when the light faded, they were gone.

/


	17. Confessions of a Baby Dragon

/

Confessions of a Baby Dragon

/

Alex walked into his room in the library.

The day had finally ended.

He couldn't recall a single point his life where he had been this tired… He had woken up, gone to Trixie's magic show, been hit on by her, fought an Ursa Major, kept it away from Ponyville long enough for Luna to arrive, calmed down the entire town, gone home with Spike to wait for Celestia, explained to Twilight what had happened to the Ursa… And that was only the first half of this day.

Alex had scaled a mountain, carried Fluttershy the entire way up, talked to a dragon, pissed it off, almost gotten eaten… Then, he watched Fluttershy pick the dragon up off the ground, and fly it into a wall, making it run off in tears…

Then, of course, he got back from that, destroyed the cotton candy cloud, and met the god of chaos. Then he said goodbye to Twilight, put Spike to bed, and spent a few hours finishing up some other miscellaneous tasks.

And now, finally, here he was, in front of his favorite thing in the world. His bed.

"I've missed you," Alex said in the sexiest voice he could muster. "Did you miss me?"

Walking over to his bed, Alex climbed onto it and got under the covers, then rubbed his face on the pillow.

"Of course you did, I didn't even come see you yesterday!" Alex said, as he bunched some of his blanket up, and pressed it to his chest. "I promise, tonight will be about the two of us… Nopony else…"

"Uh… Alex…?" Spikes voice said from the door to his room.

"I'm not talking to my bed, if that's what you were wondering…" Alex said quickly, jumping out of the bed. "I was just… Uh… So, hey, why're you awake?"

"Oh… After you put me in bed, I didn't really go to sleep…" Spike said slowly, clearly having something on his mind.

After a few moments of silence, Alex finally asked, "Anything you want to talk about…?"

"Well… I guess there's one thing," Spike said.

Patting the side of his bed, Alex gestured for Spike to sit down, while Alex simply stood beside bed.

Silently, Spike jumped on to the mattress.

"So… What's up?" Alex asked casually, trying to make spike a bit more comfortable.

"It's about today…" Spike said, not really helping Alex.

"Do you mean about the whole Discord thing?" Alex asked, cocking his head. "Because, there's nothing to really be worried about, I promise."

"No," Spike said, trying to gather his thoughts. "It's about your trip to face the dragon."

"What about it?" Alex asked.

"Well, it sounded like it was pretty fun…" Spike said, still beating around the bush.

"Well, that and scary!" Alex said, laughing lightly. "Anyway, what's this really about?"

"I… I wish I was there!" Spike blurted out, looking away from Alex. "I feel like I'm missing out all the fun stuff everypony does!"

Alex wasn't sure what to say.

"Everypony always goes off on these adventures!" Spike continued. "The fight with Night Mare moon, The Ursa Major, and going to see that dragon… And I'll bet it'll happen again!"

"But… You're a baby dragon, Spike…" Alex said to him. "I don't really think—"

"But… I'm not!" Spike said, starting to get upset, "Dragons live for hundreds of years! I'm going to be a baby for a long time!"

Alex stopped to consider this. What Spike was saying made sense, but, it still wasn't reason enough to be allowed to go with them.

"It's not just age though, Spike." Alex explained. "It's also about how mature you ACT."

"If everypony has to be mature to go on these adventures, why does Pinkie go along?" Spike asked, completely invalidating Alex's argument.

"Well… You see… That's a really good point." Alex confessed. "But, as mature as you may be, you're still too small. It's a lot easier for a baby dragon to get hurt than it is for an adult pony."

Spike sighed; he knew he couldn't argue that. This is why he hated being a dragon.

"I know it sucks… But I don't know what else to say…" Alex said. "How long have you felt this way?"

"A while now…" Spike said. "You and Twilight are always so busy with everypony else, and I'm always stuck looking after the library…"

The more Alex thought about it, the more he realized that Spike was right. On more than one occasion, he and Twilight had gone out to spend time with their friends, leaving Spike alone.

"And it was like this before we moved here too," Spike said. "Twilight always had some lesson to be at, or she'd be off studying at the castle… AT least we LIVE in the library now."

Alex could definitely see where Spike was coming from. It must really suck for him sometimes, always being the guy who stays behind.

"I get so lonely here by myself…" Spike said sadly.

"Well… Why don't you try talking to Twilight about this?" Alex asked. "I'm sure that she'd understand!"

"What'll she do for me, huh?" Spike asked, "She'll probably get me a foalsitter to look after me!"

Alex stopped for a moment. "Foalsitter? Why would anypony sit on foals?" he said quietly to himself.

"Alex?" Spike asked, seeing that he had zoned out.

"Oh, it's probably like Babysitter… That makes sense. I feel kinda stupid." Alex said out loud, making Spike scratch his head in confusion.

"Wha…?" Spike said, not knowing where that had come from.

"Never mind," Alex said, quickly. "Listen, just TALK to her. She won't hire you a foalsitter. But she may let you come out with us a little more!"

"Yeah but… Would she REALLY?" Spike said, still not completely satisfied.

"I don't see why she wouldn't," Alex said, "Just give it a try!"

_"Well, maybe when she gets back..." Spike said, with something else clearly on his mind._

_"Great!" Alex said, "Is there anything else?"_

Spike pondered for a moment. He did have something else, but he wasn't sure if he should bring it up. He knew that nopony would take him seriously if he asked, not even Alex. Even if it was the entire reason behind his coming down to have this conversation, he just couldn't say it.

"No." Spike said, "There's nothing…"

"You sure?" Alex said, seeing Spikes hesitation.

"I'm sure," Spike answered dejectedly. "Thanks for listening… "

And with that, Spike hopped off the bed, and left. Leaving a concerned Alex alone in his room.

However, almost instantly, Alex started to feel his fatigue kick back in. Turning around, he extinguished the candles around the room with a quick spell, and then he climbed back into bed, sighing happily.

"It's okay, we're together now." Alex whispered into his pillow, "No more interruptions. I'm all yours."

And with that, Alex drifted off to sleep.

/

Spike lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. He had come close to confessing his secret to Alex, but wasn't able to.

He wanted nothing more than to get someponies opinion on it. But he knew that they wouldn't like the idea. It was way too extreme.

But, as crazy as the idea was… It was the one thing in the world that he wanted more than anything else. And he wished with all of his heart for it to come true.

But for now, since he didn't have the courage to talk to anypony about it, he would just have to keep wishing, and hope something magical happened.

/

**Sorry for the short chapter, the next one will be up in a day or two.**

/


	18. Flying Lessons

/

Flying Lessons

/

Alex slept soundly. He had planned to make up for all the time he had lost the past few days. And luckily for him, he hadn't been dreaming about Discord this time. He dreamt about something MUCH better.

Pink eyes. Blue coat. Cute voice. Rainbow mane…

"Mmmm, Colors…" Alex mumbled, still dreaming.

"Yes?" Her voice said.

"You're pretty…" Alex mumbled again.

"Oh, am I now?" She giggled.

Something was wrong… That voice hadn't come from his dream. He had actually HEARD that. After a moment, Alex realized where the voice had come from. Right next to him.

Not daring to open his eyes, Alex formulated a plan to get out of this embarrassing situation.

"Boy-oh-boy… I sure do love rainbows!" Alex said, trying his best to mumble understandably. "Their COLORS are so PRETTY."

"Yeah right," Dash said bonking him on the head with her hoof. "Get up!"

Feigning surprise, Alex sat up.

"Colors! When did you get here?" Alex lied, unconvincingly.

"You were dreaming about me!" Dash accused.

"Uh, no!" Alex said. "I was dreaming about a rainbow!"

"You said I was pretty when I talked to you!" Dash argued, whilst resisting the urge to blush. "What about that?"

"I… Uh… I thought the rainbow… was- was a talking rainbow!" Alex stammered

"Uh huh." Dash said, deciding to turn the tables on him, "So, does that mean you DON'T think I'm pretty?"

Alex felt like a deer caught in headlights. She was clever, he had to give her that.

So, He could say 'yes' and be embarrassed, or… he could say 'no' and make her angry. Of course, there was one more option.

"I… Have nothing to say on the subject." Alex said simply.

"Well, let's see if I can't change your mind by the end of the day" Dash said confidently.

"Why…?" Alex asked, "What's happening today?"

"Your first flying lesson!" Dash exclaimed, jumping in the air, and soaring around the room.

"But… Can't I sleep a little longer?" Alex asked, falling back on to his pillow. "What time is it anyway?"

"6:00!" Dash said, landing next to the clock on the wall. "You know what they say! The early bird gets the Sonic Rainboom!"

"That doesn't even rhym—"

"No arguments! Come on!" Dash said, smacking Alex's rump through the blanket, earning a quiet whinny from him.

"Okay!" Alex said quickly jumping out from under the covers.

"That's better!" She said with a grin. "Let's go!"

/

Alex stood at attention in front of Rainbow Dash, who was wearing now wearing a black and white striped cap, with a whistle around her neck.

Dash had insisted that today would be the best for learning, since the weather was going to be clear all day, it would be smooth sailing for him. However, they had to make sure they didn't take too long, as a massive storm was scheduled for later in the day.

And, with her patented flying methods, Dash was sure that Alex could make some head-way before the storm started. She had taught a couple of fillies to fly, but she had never had experience teaching a grown stallion with zero flight experience. Still, he had told her about his first time in this world, and how easily walking came to him. So, hopefully, flying would come naturally as well.

"Alright, listen up!" Dash said to him, "You're here to learn how to fly, right?"

"Um… Yes?" Alex said slowly.

"Come oooon Spot!" Dash whined, with her usual voice crack. "You have to get pumped, or else this is going to take way longer!"

Alex wasn't sure how true that statement was, but it couldn't hurt!

"Alright!" Alex shouted, "Let's do this!"

Dash grinned, happy to have him playing along.

"Good!" She said, snapping back to 'coach mode' "Let's get to work!"

Things were going to be easy. Alex could feel it.

/

"Okay… One more time…" Dash said dejectedly, as she watched Alex pick himself up off the ground, again. "And remember, jumping doesn't help! It only gets your face in the dirt!"

"What else am I doing wrong?" Alex asked, wiping some dirt off his face. He had been following every instruction he had been given to the letter. Flare your wings, beat them downward, and the rest should just… happen!

"You can't be so stiff!" Dash said, "Loosen up!"

Alex breathed out, and shook his head back and forth. "Okay, here I go!"

Taking the stance he had been shown, Alex relaxed and flared his wings.

"Now, remember! Straight up and down!" Dash shouted to him.

Nodding to her, Alex started flapping up and down as quickly as he could, but, nothing was happening.

"Not so fast, and not so shallow!" Dash instructed, "Make slower, FULLER beats, just like I showed you!"

"But, I've read so many books on flying!" Alex said, "And they all say that beginners should flap their wings like this!" He said, adjusting his wings, and flapping differently.

"Alex, what did I say the LAST time you told me about books on flying?" Dash asked.

"That I should stop being an egghead..? " Alex asked.

"Exactly!" Dash said, "Now, just like I showed you!"

Nodding again, Alex sighed started beating his wings up and down just as she had told him. However, he was still having zero luck.

"Just like that!" Dash encouraged. "Try to go a little faster!"

"Okay!" Alex said back to her, doing as she said.

Flapping faster, in the full strokes she had told him, he was surprised to feel himself becoming less attached to the ground. He wasn't sure how he would ever be able to change this into full flight, but this was very promising for him.

"I can feel it working!" Alex shouted, with a beaming smile on his face.

Seeing the pure child-like excitement on Alex's face, Dash couldn't help but smile right back to him.

Flapping his wings harder, Alex could feel them starting to tire. So, he decided to go for broke, and go as fast as he could. And, just before they completely gave out from exhaustion, he felt himself lift away from the grass. It hadn't been more than a quarter of an inch got a quarter of a second, and his wings burned like crazy, but he had definitely done it!

"I did it! I got off the ground!" Alex shouted, jumping up and down.

"I saw!" Dash said, happy to see her training methods working so well.

"Me too!" Pinkie said, running toward the two with a cupcake balanced on her forehead. "I made this to celebrate!"

Alex watched as she dropped in on the ground, and then bounced off, in her usual way.

Walking forward, Alex and Dash both inspected the top of the cupcake.

It read: 'Congratulations on your first quarter of an inch of flight Alex!' -Pinkie

Alex SHOULD have been confused, but, Pinkie had run into so many different situations with so many different baked goods, that he had grown numb to it all. As far as he was concerned, this was completely normal.

"Thanks Pinkie Pie!" Dash called to the now distant pony. Before turning to Alex with a stern look on her face, "Oh, and by the way, I'm putting you on a strict diet, so you can build muscle faster, and get higher off the ground!"

And with that, Dash leaned down and ate the cupcake.

"A Diet... Really?" Alex asked, not liking the sound of it.

"No. Not really," Dash said, her mouth still full of cupcake. "I just wanted to eat your cupcake."

"All you had to do was ask, I would have shared it with you." Alex laughed,

"Yeah… But, I wanted all of it." She said, after swallowing the last of it.

"Anyway," Alex said, "How long until I'm able to actually fly?"

Dash thought for a moment. "I'd say… No more than a few weeks."

This surprised Alex. He thought it would have been longer. "Is that really all?"

"Well, normally, fillies train for years, and learn to fly early…" Dash explained, "Their wings gain muscle, and with it, they're able to lift themselves off the ground."

"Okay…" Alex said, listening for more.

"But, if a Pegasus grows up, and never learns how to fly, their wings turn out weak, and unable to support flight." Dash continued, "But, even though you've never flown, your wings look like they belong to a FLYING pony. Not a flightless one. So, all the muscle is there. All you have to do is learn how to use it properly.

Alex was surprised that Dash knew so much about flight. But, then again, it was her passion in life.

"So, you ready to keep trying?" Dash asked.

"Um… My wings actually feel like they're on fire…" Alex confessed, "Do you mind if I sit down for a few minutes?"

Dash thought about it, then, decided that he should have to work for his breaks.

"I don't know…" Dash said, "Maybe if somepony called me pretty… I'd let you sit down."

Alex smirked. She was making this too easy for him.

Dash watched in confusion as Alex stood up, then walked over to the nearest pony to him, and whispered something in his ear.

"I think you're pretty!" The pony shouted to her, after listening to Alex's instruction.

"Wow!" Alex called, "Somepony called you pretty! Guess that means I can go lie down!"

And with that, Alex trotted away from the pony, and back in to the library.

Dash sighed.

She had to admit, He was good.

After a moment, the pony who had called her pretty walked over to her.

"Sorry if I inconvenienced you at all." The pony said to her.

"Naaa, it's fine." Dash said, laughing lightly as she looked up to him. "Hey… I don't think I've seen you around… What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm the Doctor." The pony said to her, extending his hoof.

"Nice to meet you, Doctor!" Dash said shaking it, with a smile, "I'm Rainbow Dash!"

"Say…" The Doctor said slowly, "What can you tell me about your friend…?"

/


	19. Look Before You Sleep

/

Chapter 10

Look Before You Sleep

/

"Spot?" Dash called, walking into the library.

Not hearing a response, Dash decided to go check his room at the back. And, when she got there, she was completely unsurprised to find him in bed, fast asleep.

"Geez, he's lazier than I am…" Dash muttered to herself as she moved alongside the bed. She raised one of her hind legs to his back. Then kicked.

The first thing Alex felt as his consciousness returned, was his body thudding on the floor, landing face first.

"Ow…" Alex grumbled, as he put his hoofs on the floor to raise himself up. However, he encountered a problem. On that he thought he had seen the last of. His horn was stuck in the floor.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Alex whined. "It's not even like its sharp!"

Noticing the predicament that Alex was currently in, Dash decided to do what any good friend would do. Fall over in a fit of laughter.

Alex sighed, he really couldn't blame her. Here he was, with his rump raised up in the air, and his horn stuck in the floor, as he pushed up as hard as he could to get it out, having no luck.

"Care to lend a hoof?" Alex asked, as he listened to her laughing continue.

Dash tried her best to compose herself so she could help Alex, but, every time she looked at him in this helpless state, she just couldn't control herself.

"What's all the laughing about?" Spike asked, walking into the room, unable to see Alex thro.

"Spike!" Alex said, relieved to see the baby dragon. "Can you help me out here?"

"Help you with wha…"

As soon as Spike saw Alex in that position, he understood why Dash had been laughing. And unfortunately for Alex, Spike joined right in with her.

"Are you two serious?" Alex asked, watching the two feed of each other's reaction, and laugh stronger as a result. "I wish Twilight were here…"

Finally, after several more minutes of the two laughing, they finally calmed down enough to be able to help him.

Wrapping his hand around the exposed part of the horn, Spike started yanking as hard as he could, while Alex pushed out on the floor. Unfortunately, that didn't work.

"Here!" Dash said, walking over Alex's body, wrapping her arms around his forehead, hugging his head to her chest. "Let me help."

"Okay…" Alex said, readying himself for another try, "On three!"

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three!"

All at once, Alex pushed against the floor, Spike pulled on his horn, and Dash started using her wings to lift herself and Alex away. And with their combined effort, the three managed to get Alex's horn out of the floor.

The only thing they hadn't thought about, was what to do after he was free. His head slipped out of the floor so fast, none of them had the chance to stop pulling, and in the end, they all wound up tumbling backwards, into a pile on the floor.

"Great job guys!" Alex said to the two underneath him.

"Yeah," Dash said, trying her best to breath with Alex on top of her. "REAL great…"

"C—Could you guys M—Move?" Spike gasped from the bottom of the pile.

"Oh, yeah!" Alex said, quickly getting off, followed by Dash.

As soon as they were off of him, Spike rolled over onto his back. "You guys should lose some weight."

"Sorry about that buddy…" Alex said, levitating Spike up off the floor, and placing him on the bed. "Why don't you just lie down for a minute?"

"Okay…" Spike groaned.

Alex lifted the blanket off the floor and put it over Spike.

"Come on," Dash said, "Let's get back to your training."

Alex nodded, then turned to Spike.

"We'll be back in a little bit, okay?" Alex said the baby dragon, walking toward the door.

"Okay…" Spike said, "But, to help me get better, you should bring some ice cream."

"We'll see." Alex said, walking out the door, followed by Dash.

"That always means no…" Spike grumbled.

/

Alex and Dash immediately resumed his training, and continued for the next few hours.

While Alex didn't make much more progress, Dash was still happy that he was getting practice in the basics.

"Okay," Dash instructed, "Just one more set!"

Taking a deep breath, Alex started flapping his wings. He wasn't trying to achieve any flight; he was simply moving them up and down at a slow pace. The closest thing he could compare it too, was jumping jacks, but with his wings, and without jumping.

Standing and watching Alex, Dash thought back to the pony who she had briefly talked with about Alex. He had been really interested in him… Had he and Alex even met?

"Okay, that's good!" Dash said, deciding to let Alex finish a bit early. "I'm kind of curious about something."

"Shoot." Alex said, catching his breath.

"That pony that you got to call me pretty…" Dash said, "Do you know who him?"

"I've only seen him around," Alex answered. "That was the first time I've ever talked to him."

"He seemed really interested in you." Dash said.

"Really?" Alex asked, "What was his name?"

"He had a weird kind of name…" Dash mumbled, "He called himself 'The Doctor.'"

"Huh," Alex said, thinking back to a couple weeks ago. "I think I heard Applejack mention him back when she hurt her leg… What did he ask you?"

"Like, when you first arrived, where you came from, what you were doing here… Pretty basic stuff." Dash recalled.

"Well, that's pretty weird." Alex said, "Maybe he was just curious."

"Yeah… Mayb—" Dash was cut off when a loud bolt of thunder sounded above them.

"Wow!" Alex said looking up at the sky, "When did it get so dark?"

"Haven't you noticed the Pegasi putting the clouds in the sky?" Dash asked. "We're having a big storm today because the rain we had planned for a few days ago never happened."

"Scheduling weather is something I'll NEVER get used to…" Alex said. "And I guess I just didn't notice the ponies setting it—"

Another clap of thunder sounded in the sky, causing Alex to jump.

"Uh… Let's go inside." Alex said quickly feeling the wind start to pick up.

"Oh come on!" Dash said teasingly, "You aren't afraid of a little—"

An especially massive boom went off, scaring both Dash and Alex.

"Can we please?" Alex asked, not wanting to be outside anymore.

"Um… Yeah…" Dash said, feeling a couple of rain drops land on her snout. "Let's go inside."

Alex and Dash both ran inside, not wanting to get wet, or struck by lightning.

/

"Where have you guys been?" Spike asked, watching the two run inside the library from his seat at the kitchen table. "Did you bring my ice cream?"

"Sorry Spike," Alex said, looking out the window. "We didn`t really have time."

"Yeah…" Spike said, "I kinda figured."

"I'll go pick you some up tomorrow, okay?" Alex said, turning to face him.

"Uh… Sure!" Spike said, surprised that he was going to get ice cream at all.

"So, what's the plan?" Alex said to the two.

"Well…" Dash said, peering out the window. "I don't think flying up to my house will be the SAFEST thing in the world right now…"

"Well, you're welcome to stay here," Alex said. "With Twilight gone, we have a spare bed."

Dash looked at Spike, and saw that he had no objection. So, she smiled, and nodded.

"Great!" Alex said, "What are we going to do in the meantime though? There's still a couple hours before we should be heading to bed."

"What does Twilight do for fun around here?" Dash asked.

"Uh…" Alex said, "Well… She reads."

Dash couldn't believe that was the first thing on the list.

"Ugh, Bor-ING," Dash said, sighing. "What else?"

Spike scratched his head, what else did they do… Oh! He knew!

"Sometimes we do math!" Spike said, expecting them to love his idea.

"Yeah… They… They really do…" Alex said, clearly not a fan of the idea.

"Is that all there is to do around here?" Dash whined, sitting down.

"Pretty much…" Alex said, "Normally we go outside to do-"

Another clap of thunder went off, almost as if it were reminding them that going out wasn't an option.

Seeing something run by the window of the Library, Dash took a peek to see what it was.

"Hey, look!" Dash announced. "There goes Applejack and Rarity!"

"Huh?" Alex said, standing next to her at the window. "Oh yeah! There they go!"

After watching the two run past the Library, and head toward a deeper part of town, Alex realized something. "We probably should have invited them in… Huh?"

Dash and Spike both nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we would have had something to do with them here!" Dash complained.

Alex looked around. Twilight really didn't have much stuff to do. He always passed the time by practicing magic… But that was hardly an option for Dash.

"I wish that this world had television…" Alex mumbled.

"What's that?" Dash asked.

"Uh…" Alex paused. How do you explain a television to somepony who's never heard of it?

"It's like… A box, that shows pictures… Well, moving pictures!"

"Oh, like a movie!" Dash said.

"You've got movies here?" Alex asked, surprised.

"Well, we have projectors," Dash said, "but they're not very popular."

"Well, a television is a box, with a screen, that plays movies without a projector." Alex explained. "In my world, there are literally a million different things that you can watch."

"Wow," Spike said, "your world sounds really cool!"

"I guess so..." Alex said, thinking about all of the things he missed from his world.

"Tell us more about your world!" Spike said excitedly.

"Um, alright," Alex agreed, sitting down at the table with the other two. "Where should I start…?"

/

Dash and Spike listened to Alex tell them all about his world for the next couple of hours. He had told them about cars, skyscrapers, convenient stores, and fast food restaurants.

They kept listening as he started to explain his personal life. His own car, his schooling, and he even got a little bit too deep into describing video games.

"—And that's why you never use the AA-12" Alex finished.

"That sounds like tons of fun!" Dash said, still engrossed in the story. "Don't cha' think so Spike?"

Turning to the baby dragon, Dash and Alex both realized that he was fast asleep, and since the two had been so focused on each other while he told his stories, Spike had probably had been like that for a while.

"Oh, maybe I bored him to sleep." Alex laughed.

Dash giggled. Something Alex hadn't really heard her do before.

"Come on, let's take him to bed." Alex said, deciding not to make a big deal out of it. "I'll get you set up while we're up there."

Dash simply nodded as Alex levitated Spike off the chair, and carried him up the stairs.

Following Alex, Dash walked up behind him into Twilights room.

Placing Spike in the bed, Alex turned around, and looked at the bed.

"This is where you'll be sleeping," Alex said, jumping on the bed, landing on his back.

Dash cocked an eyebrow, "How am I supposed to sleep if you're on the bed?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Alex said, "I changed my mind. You have to sleep on the floor."

"Don't make this harder than it has to be," Dash challenged. "You're getting out of that bed, one way or another."

"You can try." Alex said.

Dash readied herself for a charge toward Alex, however, just as she lunged toward him, yet another boom of thunder went off, causing the entire tree to shake.

Dash immediately flared her wings to slow herself down. And, instead of knocking Alex off the bed, she wrapped her arms around him, and clung to him, to which Alex immediately reciprocated, and hugged her back.

"M—Maybe you can stay for a little longer…" Dash said as she shook.

"Aren't P—Pegasi supposed to be like… Used to thunder?" Alex stammered.

"Are you kidding?" Dash said. "Getting struck by lightning is really e—easy for a Pegasus."

Alex didn't answer. He simply sat in the dimly lit room, clinging to the pony next to him.

Finally, after a few minutes, the storm seemed to quiet down enough for the two to calm down.

"You know… Maybe you should stay for a little while…" Dash said, her voice still shaking a bit.

"Yeah… Just in case…" Alex said, shuffling closer to her on the bed.

The silence returned to the room.

Dash thought for a moment, before when he was talking about his world, she couldn't help but notice that he hadn't mentioned his family at all. So, she decided to just ask about them one more time. "So… What happened with your family?"

Alex' expression hardened. He didn't like to think about this.

"What happened?" Dash asked.

Alex sighed. Nopony knew about his family. But… If there was one pony he could confide in, he felt like Dash was the one.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to…" Dash said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"No…" Alex said, "I can talk about it."

Dash remained silent.

"The day that I came to Equestria…" Alex began, "Was the worst day of my life."

Dash didn't understand. He always talked about how much he loved this place. Something must have happened before he came into Equestria.

Alex didn't say anything for a few minutes. He wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush. So, he decided to just come out with it.

"My parents died…" Alex said, staring forward.

Immediately, Dash lifted her head off his shoulder and turned to face him. "I— I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"

Alex turned to meet her gaze, "It's okay, Colors. I don't think it would hurt too much for me to talk about it."

"H—How did they… Or, what hap- uh…" Dash stammered trying to find the right words.

"They were driving in one of the cars I was telling you about… And someone hit them with another car." Alex explained solemnly

Dash thought back to Alex' description of a car... If two of those things were to collide, the result would be bad…

"I… Found out when I got home from school." Alex said, "It was all too much… So, I decided to start walking. I didn't care where I ended up… After walking for what seemed like hours, I found that light, and it brought me here."

A bright bolt of lightning illuminated the room, but, at this moment, neither of them cared.

"I'm sorry…" Dash repeated, turning her head to face away from him.

"You don't need to apologize," Alex said, using his hoof to turn her head back to face him. "After all, there was a silver lining… I found this world."

Dash looked back in to his eyes. They were sad. But, there was a kind of happiness behind them. She was losing herself a little bit.

"And… I found some great ponies…" Alex continued slowly, gazing back in to her eyes, inching his face forward, closing the gap between them.

"What else did you find?" Dash asked quietly, leaning forward herself.

"I found… You…" Alex said, able to feel her breathing on his nose.

"I'm glad…" Dash whispered, pushing forward to close the rest of the gap.

"What are you guys doing?"

Immediately, upon hearing Spike's voice, Alex and Dash pulled away from each other.

"Were you about to kiss?" Spike asked, grinning like an idiot.

"No!" Alex answered quickly. "We were just… Uh, talking!"

"Yup!" Dash agreed quickly, "Just talkin'!"

"I may be a baby, but I'm not stupid." Spike said flatly. "But don't worry about it. I'm not going to tell anypony."

Both Alex and Dash gave a sigh of relief.

"Anyway, I can't sleep up here with all the thunder, so I'm gonna go downstairs and sleep in your room, Alex." Spike said, dragging his bed along behind him as he headed out the door.

"I'd better go down with him…" Alex said, starting to realize just how tired he was.

A low rumbling outside the library caused Dash to suddenly grip his arm.

"Can you sleep in here?" Dash asked, clearly still upset from the storm. "I'd rather not be alone…"

"I guess I can sleep on the floor." Alex said, about to stand up.

"Oh!" Dash said quickly, "You can sleep in the bed… If you want…"

Alex paused. He wanted to sleep in the bed more than anything. But, he couldn't look too eager. "I guess, if you want me too."

Lying down, Alex shifted into a more comfortable position on his side, facing her. "But no funny business!"

"You don't have to worry about that," Dash said, lying down next to him, and resting her head against his chest. "You're like a… a big ugly teddy bear!"

Alex chucked tiredly as he closed his eyes. "That's me in a nutshell."

"Mhmm…" Dash muttered.

The two lay in a comfortable silence, until Alex finally drifted off.

Pushing herself closer to his sleeping form, Dash couldn't help but chuckle quietly.

She wasn't afraid of thunder or lightning.

/

The Doctor sat in the TARDIS, thinking back to his conversation with Rainbow Dash.

He had finally learned some useful information on Alex. He was a pony from another dimension. Unfortunately, that was a dimension with humans.

The doctor had never actually seen a human. He had only heard legends of them.

The greedy, war loving, conquering species.

And now one of them was in Equestria? That explains why Discord was the ruler in the future. Alex must have assisted him.

The Doctor sighed. A human coming to Equestria, and changing the course of history so much… It sounded like a stupid idea for a story. But, it was happening, and he didn`t like it one bit.

Of course, normally, The Doctor would take more time to consider things, but after what happened to Derpy, and everypony else… He had a one track mind. And that was to make everything go back to the way it was. He saw how this ended. Everypony was turned to stone, and Discord was the ruler of Equestria.

He wasn't going to let it get to that point.

He was going to stop Alex. Just like he had stopped every bad guy he had ever come across.

/


	20. Twilight Comes Home

/

Twilight Comes Home

/

Twilight walked through the mess that currently was Ponyville. Branches, roof tiles, and even a few scorch marks where lightning had clearly struck the ground littered almost every inch of the street. She hadn't been in the town, but she had no problem imagining how strong this storm had been.

Normally, Twilight would be helping clean up by casting some quick spells, but, Celestia had spent the last few days teaching her several advanced magic spells, that she was to pass on to Alex. And she was completely drained as a result.

With the return of Discord imminent, Equestria needed to be as ready as possible for it. Celestia seemed convinced that everything was centered on Alex... His arrival from Earth, the mysterious Element that he possessed, and his ability to summon incredible magic on a whim. He was important.

So, Twilight was to help him hone his chaos-cancelling magic. The stronger they could make him, the weaker they could make Discord.

However, Twilight wasn't very happy with this. She didn't like the idea of turning her friend into a weapon. But… she knew that the Princess would never ask this unless it was absolutely necessary. So, for now at least, she would just grin and bear it.

Arriving at her destination, Twilight walked through the front door, and was surprised to find nopony downstairs. So, she decided to take a quick look around.

Checking in all of the rooms on the bottom floor, Twilight quickly concluded that she'd have to go upstairs.

Walking up to the door of the master bedroom, Twilight decided to knock, just to be on the safe side. Not hearing an answer, she opened the door and took a peek inside. She was VERY surprised at what she saw.

Two ponies lay in the bed, fast asleep. And Twilight had to admit, she had never expected to see these two huddled together. They barely seemed to get along… And yet, here they were.

"They must have both taken shelter here after the storm…" Twilight muttered to herself. "Still… I never expected to see this…"

Deciding to leave the huddled ponies alone, Twilight quietly stepped out of the room, and closed the door. Walking down the stairs, she glanced around the main section of the boutique.

"I guess I can ask Rarity to fix my Gala dress later…" Twilight said, looking at some of the dresses on display, before snickering lightly. "I'll let her and Applejack finish their nap. I guess I'll go check on Alex and Spike."

/

Alex inhaled deeply. Something smelled great. Some like… Shampoo.

Opening his eyes a bit, Alex quickly realized what it was. A sleeping Rainbow Dash, who had pushed herself into his chest, and rested her head in his neck, causing her hair to brush up around his nose.

Attempting to readjust himself, Alex found that one of his arms was pinned underneath her. In fact, it had been wrapped around her.

Alex was surprised. They had REALLY been cuddling. But, That was because he had been making her feel safe during the storm. And, if her pressing herself into him was a result of that, he wasn't about to start complaining.

"Is it morning?" Dash said into his chest, having awoken from Alex' shifting.

"Yeah," Alex said, "Maybe we should get up…"

"Can we just stay here for a littl—" Dash said, before being interrupted by the front door of the library opening, then closing.

"Alex? Spike?" Twilight voice called from the floor below.

Dash and Alex immediately sat up, and looked at each other.

"Uh oh…" They said in unison.

Jumping off the bed, Dash ran over to the window, and opened it up.

"I hate to run out on you like this… But, I'm sure you understand." Dash said.

Alex nodded. "I'll see you later."

"Well, if you're lucky." Dash replied with a wink before spreading her wings, and taking off through the open window.

Looking back and forth, Alex decided that he should probably try to look as natural as possible when she came to check her room.

Alex scooted himself to the edge of the bed, and attempted to get off of it. Unfortunately, the arm that had been under Dash, was still completely asleep, and he didn't see this until he had already put weight on it, causing him to fall flat on his face.

"Why do I always end up on the floor?" Alex asked himself, standing up on his three good legs.

Steadying himself, Alex had lifted himself up, just in time for Twilight to come in the room, with Spike just behind her.

"Did you see the knocked over tree outside?" Twilight asked, before stopping to ask more pressing questions. "Wait… Why are you in my room? And… What's wrong with your leg?"

"What are you talking about?" Alex said quickly, "My leg is always like this, see?"

Casting a small spell, Alex levitated his leg off the floor, and made it wave to her.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow at him suspiciously, but decided to move on. "Okay… Why are you sleeping up here?"

Alex looked behind Twilight, and saw Spike giving all sorts of hand gestures and signals. He was obviously trying to tell him what to say.

"Oh…" Alex said, trying his best to decode what Spike was trying to tell him. "Well… the- The thunder was so loud that…. That Spike asked if he could sleep in my room with me! You know, to get away from the noise! …But, you know how he snores! So, I came up here when he… When he fell asleep!"

Alex held his breath.

"Yeah, Spike said something along those lines." Twilight said absentmindedly as she moved to the open window and looked outside. "Can you help me move the broken part of that tree?"

"No problem!" Alex said, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Alright, I'll see you out there." Twilight said, trotting out of the room.

Alex and Spike sat silently together in the room for a few moments.

"Dude." Alex said finally, convinced that Twilight was out of earshot. "That was awesome."

"I can't believe that you got all that!" Spike said happily, "I thought you were busted for sure!"

"Spike!" Twilight voice called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, coming!" Spike said giving a 'thumbs up' to Alex, then turning around and running out the door.

Alex stood alone in the silence and sighed.

That had been close… Too close.

He definitely had to be more careful when it came to sleeping with Dash.

Wait… That didn't come out right.

/


	21. Bridle Gossip Part 1

/

Chapter 11

Bridle Gossip - Part 1

/

**Sorry about down time, and relatively short chapter. But, I've been working like crazy the past few weeks, and been a little addicted to a game called DayZ. But, hopefully I can start updating faster, as my work is starting to get back to normal, and I'm getting a little sick of my game.**

**Enjoy**

/

Alex walked toward town. He had been following the instructions that Dash had given him, and started practicing his wing exercises. However, after an hour of this, he started to find it hard to concentrate. His mind seemed to wander to Rainbow Dash no matter what he did.

Spread Wings.

Rainbow Dash.

Raise them up.

Rainbow Dash.

Lower them back down.

RAINBOW DASH.

It was a vicious cycle.

So, Alex decided to do the one thing he knew would help get his mind off of her. Get some cupcakes!

And, luckily for him, this plan worked perfectly. All of his cupcake thoughts kept his mind completely occupied. In fact, he was so occupied that he failed to notice that there wasn't a soul in the town. It was completely deserted.

It was almost as if nopony came outside today.

So, Alex ignorantly trotted toward his goal, which lay only a few meters in front of him.

"Alex!" Pinkie whispered from the front door of Sugarcube Corner. "Get in here!"

Snapping out of his day dream, Alex looked at the front door, and was confused to see Pinkie gesturing for him to come inside. It looked urgent.

"Hurry!" Pinkie called hoarsely.

Picking up the pace, Alex ran in the door, as Pinkie closed it behind him.

"What's wrong?!" Alex asked, looking back and forth in the dark store. "Wait… Are you going to draw another moustache on me?"

"No!" Pinkie whispered, "We're all hiding in here from her!" she said, pointing out the window.

Looking out the window, Alex saw the pony that Pinkie was referring to. She stood in the middle of the square with a cloak over her head, and was digging at the ground.

"Wait… What do you mean, everypony is hiding here?" Alex asked, still peering out the window.

"We're all here!" Dash said.

Turning around, Alex saw all of his friends lined up behind Pinkie.

Rarity, Dash, Twilight, Spike, Fluttershy, Applejack, and on the very end, was Applejack's sister, Apple Bloom.

"What are you all doing here?" Alex asked the group of ponies.

"We already told you!" Dash said, "We're all hiding from her!"

"We're not ALL hiding from her," Twilight said. "I just got pulled in here."

"I don't understand… Who is that?" Alex asked.

"That's Zecora!" Apple Bloom said, earning a hard glare form Applejack.

"I told ya' not to say her name!" Applejack said angrily, earning a huff from Apple Bloom.

Alex cocked an eyebrow, and turned back to the window.

Everypony lined up behind him as they all peered out the window.

"W-Why is she just… Digging?" Rarity asked, "Doesn't she care about getting filthy?"

"Maybe she's looking for gems!" Spike spoke up.

Twilight was about to correct him, but her attention was drawn back to Zecora as she pulled the hood of her cloak back.

Everypony except Twilight and Alex gasped.

"Oh, she's a Zebra!" Alex said, "I didn't know you had those here!"

"A… What?" Everypony said in unison.

"A Zebra!" Alex said again, realizing that he really didn't know much about them. "They all have stripes, and… Well… Yeah!"

"They ALL have those stripes?" Rarity asked in disbelief, "Those poor creatures!"

"Why don't we go say hello?" Alex asked the group, ignoring Rarity.

"No!" Pinkie shouted. "She's evil!"

"Have you ever talked to her?" Alex asked.

"Well… No!" Pinkie said, "But, I know she's evil! I even wrote a song about her!"

"A… Song?" Alex asked slowly.

Dash rolled her eyes, "Here we go…"

Pinkie inhaled deeply.

"_She's an evil enchantress! She does evil dances!" _Pinkie danced around Sugarcube corner, as she sang.

"_If you look deep in her eyes, she'll put you in trances!" _Pinkie continued.

Alex was genuinely shocked. Not just because Pinkie was singing, but because of the nature of the song.

"_And what will she do? She'll mix up an evil brew! And she'll gobble you up, in a big tasty stew!" _Pinkie sang, jumping up on a table.

"So, Watch—" Pinkie tried to finish, before being cut off.

"Are you serious?!" Alex shouted. "Why are you treating her this way? What's wrong with her?"

"She's…. Well, she's different!" Dash explained.

"So…?" Spike asked.

"And that's enough for everypony to treat her like she's a witch?" Alex said, "This is like… pony racism!"

"Um… What's that?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"It's when you judge people… Or ponies, by the way they look." Alex explained. "Where I came from, it was only something that mean people did."

"We should go talk to her!" Apple Bloom said, "I'll bet she's nice!"

"Oh no!" Apple jack said. "You're stayin' right here!"

Apple Bloom huffed and pulled away from her sister. "I'm not a baby! I can take care of myself!"

"I'm your big sister, an' you'll listen to me!" Applejack said sternly, as she turned away from Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom grumbled. She was old enough to look after herself, no matter WHAT Applejack thought. So, she was going to go say hello to Zecora, and prove just how capable she was.

"I think we should just go out, and say hello." Twilight said.

"Nope," Dash said flatly. "I'm not getting cursed."

"C-Cursed?" Fluttershy stammered.

"Yeah!" Pinkie exclaimed, "I think she does that too!"

"You 'think'?" Alex asked.

"Yeah!" Pinkie said, "I'm almost sixty percent sure!"

"Good to know…" Spike said.

"Can we please go talk to her?" Twilight asked the group.

"Hey, where's Apple Bloom?" Applejack asked suddenly. "Did anypony see where she went?

Everypony looked around the shop for the filly, but had no luck finding her.

"There she is!" Spike said, pointing out the window toward Zecora, who was now walking away from the town with Apple Bloom in tow.

"That silly filly!" Applejack said in a worried tone, "We've got to go after her!"

Twilight sighed. "Good! Maybe now we can actually TALK to Zecora."

"Let's go!" Applejack said, running out the door first.

Spike headed for the door next, but was stopped by Twilight.

"You should stay here, Spike…" Twilight said to him, earning an upset look. "Um… In case Apple Bloom comes back."

"B-but I want to go with you guys!" Spike said, "This sounds like it's gonna be fun!"

"Sorry Spike," Twilight said sternly. "I don't want you getting hurt."

And with that, Twilight walked out the door, followed by all her friends, except Alex.

"I'll try and talk to her, okay?" Alex said to Spike.

"It's no use," Spike said sadly, "I'm always just going to be a baby dragon to her…"

Alex stood in silence for a moment, before speaking up, "I have to go with them… But I'll try my best, okay?"

Spike didn't answer. He simply looked at the ground.

Alex sighed, and followed Twilight. He truly felt bad for Spike. And he would definitely try his best to help him. He wouldn't let him be left in the cold.

/

The group of ponies followed the path that Zecora and Apple Bloom had taken. They had gotten quite a head start, but Applejack made sure they were getting caught up.

Alex had been beside Twilight, for a few minutes, trying to find the right words to say to her. He had to be careful… Twilight was the boss, and he couldn't act like he knew what was best for Spike, only she knew that. So, he'd just start things casually.

"So…" Alex began casually, "Why wasn't Spike allowed to come along?"

Okay, maybe not so casual.

"Huh?" Twilight began, turning to Alex, "He wasn't allowed, because he's a baby!"

"But… He's not REALLY a baby…" Alex said, realizing that this whole conversation was going to hell, before it was even started. "H-he's pretty mature!"

Twilight was surprised at this suddenly coming up. "Where is this coming from?"

"It kinda bothers him…" Alex said, causing Twilight to cock an eyebrow. "That he doesn't get to come along!"

Twilight stopped for a moment. Spike wasn't left alone THAT often… was he? The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. But, that still wasn't reason enough.

"Spike is really young, Alex…" Twilight explained. "He may be mature, but that doesn't make any difference."

"But…"

"Alex," Twilight said, cutting him off. "If ANYTHING were to happen to him… I- I just don't know what I'd do…"

Alex sighed. He knew he couldn't change her mind. "You're right… I'm sorry."

"Maybe when he grows up… But not now." Twilight said quietly.

"We both know that he won't be grown up for a long time…" Alex added.

Twilight sighed, Spike wouldn't be completely mature until LONG after she was gone… If she waited until he was more grown up, she would be waiting for a very long time. But, right now, she didn't care if he was mature, or old enough, or anything. She wanted him safe, and wasn't going to start treating him differently any time soon. Maybe the time would come, but it wasn't right now.

"I know… But, just… Not right now." Twilight finished.

Alex was about to say something else, but was cut off by Applejack in the front of the group.

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack shouted.

Everypony looked forward. They had just reached the edge of the Everfree forest, and Apple Bloom was just ahead, following behind Zecora. And, upon hearing her name called, both of them turned around.

Applejack ran forward and scooped Apple Bloom up off the ground, running forward a few steps into a field of blue flowers.

Everypony ran forward to meet Applejack in to the flowers.

"Beware! Beware, you pony folk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!" Zecora said to them, in a deeper voice than any of them had pegged her for.

"You keep your creepy mumbo-jumbo to yourself, ya' hear?" Applejack threatened.

"Yeah!" Dash shouted.

"Go away!" Pinkie said.

Zecora slowly started backing toward the darkness of the Everfree forest. "Beware!"

Alex rolled his eyes. He assumed that all of her menacing "bewares" were simply a result in differences of speech. It was unfortunate that it made her sound so evil.

Everypony watched as Zecora disappeared, then let out a collective sigh of relief.

"You'd **better** run!" Dash shouted into the darkness.

"Why couldn't ya' just stay put?" Applejack said to Apple Bloom.

"I- I…" Apple Bloom stammered.

"You could'a been cursed!" Applejack said, cutting her off.

"There is no such thing as a curse!" Twilight shouted.

"Oh yeah," Dash cut in, "This coming from Miss Magic Pants herself!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "My magic, _real_ magic, comes from within. It's a skill you're born with! Curses are artificial, **fake** magic! It's conjured with potions and incantations; all smoke and mirrors meant to scare. But curses have **real** power, they're just an old pony tale!"

"One of these days Twilight, you're gonna find out that some pony tales are true!" Applejack warned.

/

The Next Day

/

Alex rolled back and forth in his bed. After all the arguing yesterday over Zecora, he just wanted to avoid everypony for a while, and relax.

But, unfortunately, he couldn't help but feel that he wasn't alone.

Something was watching him.

Alex opened his eyes, and was met with a familiar face. One that he hoped he wouldn't be seeing for a while.

"Happy to see me?"

"Discord." Alex said, frowning.

"I wasn't planning on visiting… but after your little encounter yesterday, I just had to come see you." Discord chuckled.

Alex adjusted to get himself out of the bed. And, again found himself a human. Just as he had at the last time he met Discord.

"What?" Alex asked, standing up. "You mean Zecora?"

"That zebra?" Discord said, "Not at all!"

Alex cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm talking about my loyal subjects, of course!" Discord explained.

"Loyal subjects?" Alex asked, completely lost.

"Oh, you'll understand soon enough." Discord said vaguely.

Alex sighed, "Was there anything else you wanted?"

"I saw you and that little blue pony getting pretty cozy the other night." Discord said, wiggling his eyebrows. "You seem to be quite fond of each other."

"How exactly do you SEE us?" Alex asked, upset that he had been spied on.

"Well, my only real connection to you is through these dreams you have." Discord explained. "But, thanks to that little bit o' chaos in you, I can see through your eyes every now and then."

"Fantastic." Alex sighed. "And, for the record, she was just scared of the lightning and thunder."

"Are you serious?" Discord said, starting to laugh loudly, and uncontrollably. "Y- You really think that- That a PEGASUS is- is afraid of a storm?" He said through the laughter.

Alex opened his mouth to argue, but realized just how stupid he would sound. What was more likely? A born flying creature, that probably spends quite a bit of time flying during storms, that is afraid of lightning… Or, a pony that wanted to cuddle with him.

Wait… Rainbow Dash wanting to cuddle? Nah.

"I'm pretty sure she was afraid of the lightning," Alex said, knowing full well that it was a lie.

"Whatever you like." Discord said with a sly grin, after calming himself down. "Anyway, I'm going to let you wake up now. I think you'll be very surprised at what you find"

Alex looked around the room as everything started to fade, just like last time. So, right before he woke up, and left this dream, he looked down and fiddled with his hands a bit.

Man… He missed his fingers.

/

Alex opened his eyes again. He was back in bed, and alone in his room. He recalled what Discord had said about a surprise, but wasn't totally sure what he had meant.

Lifting up a hoof to rub his eyes, Alex was immediately understood what Discord had meant.

Alex had hands. He had real, proper hands.

Inspecting himself further, Alex discovered that he also had only two legs, instead of four!

He was human again! And, wearing the same clothes he had been in the night he left his world.

At least he wasn't naked.

Looking around, Alex looked for Discord. Was this another trick? Was he still dreaming? It must be. It had to be.

"Discord!" Alex shouted.

Not hearing a response, his heart started to race. Why was he a human in Equestria? He was supposed to be a pony!

"Dis—" Alex began again, before being cut off by shouting from outside his room.

Adjusting to normal movement again, Alex carefully got himself out of bed, wobbled his was up, slowly walked to the door, and pressed his ear against it, listening to the conversation outside his room.

"Of course it's not a curse, Spike!" Twilight said, "It must be… something else!"

"But, what could have done it, if it wasn't Zecora?" Spike asked.

"I don't know… But I don't like this one bit!" Twilight said, still agitated.

Twilight must have been affected by something too. Was she a human as well? What could have happened to her?

"I'm going to check on Alex." Twilight said, walking to his door.

And, unfortunately, before Alex was able to do anything, she had opened the door, and now stood in front of a completely human Alex, with her mouth hung open.

"It's me! Alex! And I am just as confused as you are!" Alex said quickly.

"W- What are you?" Twilight asked, still in shock.

"I'm Human," Alex explained, "And this is how I looked before I came to this world."

/


	22. Bridle Gossip Part 2

/  
Chapter 12  
Bridle Gossip – Part 2  
/

**I was up late finishing this one, so if there's any huge grammar error, or missing details, just send me a PM letting me know. I'll fix it up.**

/

Alex found himself in too many awkward situations in this world.

After his explanation of how he was currently a human, Twilight hadn't said a word.

Alex would have spoken up himself, but he had been too transfixed on her floppy horn. He knew what he could compare it too, but he decided against it. For all he knew, someone was reading his thoughts.

But, either way, he was a human right now.

At least he still shared the cartoon look of this world. It would probably be more of a shock to her if he was his original high-definition self.

In his current form, he was taller than Twilight. He had seen ponies that were this size in his world. But they were generally the smaller variety.

Then, suddenly, he remembered the whole Discord thing.

"Oh!" Alex said suddenly, causing Twilight to jump slightly. "I saw Discord again!"

Twilight knew this was an odd situation, but, if Discord had something to do with it, then she had to hear him out. No matter how odd he looked right now.

"He came to me while I was asleep," Alex explained, "He didn't say much, but he told me that this was caused by his most loyal followers… Whatever that means."

"Do you think he could have been referring to the zebras?" Twilight asked.

"I REALLY doubt that," Alex said, "Discord was talking about an entire group. Not one zebra."

"Hey Twi," Spike said entering the room, "What's taking you so—"

Spike froze. He was just a surprised as Twilight had been.

Alex REALLY hoped that he wasn't going to have to do this with everypony he ran in to.

"It's me, Spike." Alex reassured, "Something happened to me too. Just like Twilight."

"B-But, her horn just got floppy!" Spike stammered, "You're a completely different creature!"

"Yeah…" Alex said slowly, "I have no explanation for that."

Suddenly, out in the main section of the library, came something that sounded like a high pitched raspberry.

Everyone turned to look out the door, and saw Pinkie with her tongue hanging out of her mouth.

"Ith a pursthe!" Pinkie said, spraying spit toward Twilight and Spike.

"A purse?" Spike asked, scratching his head, "How could it be a purse?"

"A C-urth!" Pinkie annunciated.

"I'm afraid I'd have to agree," Rarity said, walking through the open front door.

Spike could feel his heart break as he looked at Rarity. It was like she only had a handful of giant hairs on her body that hung down and covered her like a curtain, blocking her vision completely.

"I hate to say I told ya' so Twilight, but I told ya' so!" A high pitched voice came from Apple Bloom, who had walked in behind Rarity, and was followed by Fluttershy.

Everypony looked at Apple Bloom oddly, until she turned to the side. Revealing a miniature Applejack standing on her back.

"It's a curse I tells ya'!" Applejack said in her new high pitched voice.

"But… Fluttershy seems fine!" Twilight said desperately.

"Yes, there doesn't seem to be a thing wrong with her!" Rarity said, jealously.

"Fluttershy… Are you okay?" Twilight asked, walking out from Alex's room.

Fluttershy shook her head.

"Is there something wrong with you?" Twilight asked again.

Fluttershy nodded.

"Would you care to tell us?" Twilight asked, confused at her silence.

Fluttershy shook her head again.

"So… You're not gonna tell us?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy nodded.

"Yes you're not? Or… Yes you will?" Twilight asked, still completely lost.

"Good gravy girl!" Applejack squeaked, "What's wrong with you?"

Fluttershy sighed, her silent strategy was beaten.

"I don't wanna talk about it…" Fluttershy said in the deepest voice any of them had heard.

All of her friends gasped, as she lowered her head in embarrassment.

Twilight walked out from Alex's room to confront her friends. And, as soon as she was out the door, a very human Alex walked out the door behind her, causing all the girls to gasp in shock.

"What in tarnation is that?!" Applejack asked, slightly panicked.

"Oh, that's Alex." Twilight said, "This is what happened to him. It's just like what happened to us."

After Twilight finished speaking, everypony remained silent.

Alex decided that he was sick of the silence. "I'm a human right now! This is how I used to look!"

"I think he looks nice!" Apple Bloom said.

"Thank you!" Alex said, happy that somepony was okay with this. "I promise. It's still me. I just look a bit different!"

Finally, the mood eased, and everypony started talking about what could have caused their ailments. The general consensus was that they were cursed, no matter how hard Alex or Twilight tried to convince them otherwise.

"Hey… What's that noise?" Spike asked.

Everyone quieted down to listen. And, sure enough, there was some kind of humming off in the distance.

The best Alex could compare it too, was a dive bombing airplane. But what could cause that kind of sound in this world?

Looking out the window, Alex immediately understood.

A crashing Rainbow Dash might be responsible. A crashing Rainbow Dash that was headed straight for the Library.

Everypony moved out of the way as she approached the door, well, everypony except Alex, as he was still watching her approach.

So, when Dash came careening through the door, she hit Alex, and took him with her straight into the back wall of the Library.

"Ow…" Dash said, rubbing her head, as her wings started flapping rapidly again, "Here we go again…"

Alex groaned. She may have been a small pony, but crashing into him still hurt, and having her basically sitting in his lap wasn't helping either.

Seeing that Dash wasn't in control of her wings, Alex decided to help her out, and wrap his arms around her midsection, keeping her wings clamped down.

Looking back to Alex, Dash raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, you guys?" Dash asked to her friends in front of her. "What is this, and why is it holding on to me?"

"That THING, is me Colors." Alex said to her, acting offended.

"Alex?" Dash said in complete shock. "What the buck happened to you?"

"Hey!" Twilight scolded, putting her hoofs on Spikes ears, "Watch your language!"

Dash rolled her eyes. "So-rry."

Twilight glared at her again before taking her hoofs off of Spikes ears. She then went back to the previous conversation she had been having about Zecora with the others.

Dash shifted. If wasn't exactly comfortable sitting on Alex's lap while he kept her wings in place. But, it was better than flying around uncontrollably.

"So, Zecora got you too?" Dash asked casually. "Let's hope we find a cure for this… I liked you better as a pony."

"Ouch," Alex said, "You sure know how to hurt a guy's feelings."

"Yeah," Dash laughed, "I can tell how broken up you are about it."

Alex and Dash continued talking, oblivious to the conversation their friends were sharing.

"This wasn't a curse!" Twilight said angrily, "Alex said that—"

"So Alex had a dream," Rarity said from behind her hair, "That doesn't prove the innocence of that striped fiend!"

"Rarity please…" Twilight began again, before being cut off by Pinkie attempting to talk, even though nopony understood what she had said.

"Let's just GO talk to her, and sort everything out!" Twilight said, as her horn wobbled. Earning a snicker from Spike.

"We're not goin' anywhere NEAR Zecora!" Applejack squeaked, causing Spike to laugh a little louder.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Twilight asked.

"We could get cursed…" Fluttershy said in her deep voice, sending Spike into all out hysterics.

"Spike!" Twilight shouted, over his laughter.

"W- Well, I'm sorry!" Spike said through his snickers. "But, look at you guys!"

Alex and Dash both quieted down and looked at Spike.

"There's Hairity! Rainbow Crash! Spitty Pie! Apple Teeny! Flutterguy!" Spike laughed harder as he listed each name. However, his laughter stopped short as he looked at Twilight, then to Alex, then back to Twilight.

"What can I even do with you two?" Spike sighed, "Talk about a buzz kill." He said, gesturing to Twilight.

"Spike!" Hairity scolded.

"Beeth theriouth!" Spitty spat.

"How did you know that was my nickname?" Crash whined.

Flutterguy sighed deeply.

"Twilight," Apple Teeny said, ignoring Spike, "You need to find a cure for this, and fast!"

"I've looked…" Twilight said dejectedly. "But, I don't have anything in this entire library!"

"Well, there was that one book…" Spike said, pointing to a book with the label 'super naturals.'

"I already told you, Spike!" Twilight said, slightly annoyed, "That book is a bunch of mumbo jumbo!"

"But—"

"No buts!" Twilight said quickly.

"I guess we're stuck this way…" Flutterguy said.

"How dreadful!" Hairity complained.

"But… How am I supposed to become a Wonder Bolt, if I can't stop flying?" Crash asked.

Pinkie tried to respond, but only spat a large amount of spit all over the room.

"We ARE going to fix this," Twilight said, "I'll have to write and ask Princess Celestia to help."

"Hey…" Spike said, "Is it just me? Or is Apple Bloom gone again?"

"I thought that her and Apple Bloom were going somewhere," Alex said from under Crash. "Although, she didn't look too happy about it… In hindsight, I probably should have spoken up."

"We'd better go after them then!" Twilight said, realizing that this was the perfect opportunity to go see Zecora. "We don't want our friends getting hurt!"

"Well… I don't know…" Flutterguy said timidly.

"Perhaps we could just… forget about them?" Hairity joked.

A moment of awkward silence passed.

"Fine!" Hairity said, realizing that this may not be the best time for jokes, "Let's get this over with."

And with that, the ponies started filling out the door one by one.

Hairity, then Spitty, then Crash, who was now giving Alex a ride, as he used his legs to keep her wings from going crazy again. Next out the door was Twilight, then Flutterguy.

Spike stood at the door and watched the ponies walk away from the Library, and was surprised when Flutterguy turned around to face him.

"Are you coming Spike?" Flutterguy asked in a surprisingly caring way, considering the voice she had.

"Uh… Sure!" Spike said excitedly, as he ran out the front door. Unfortunately, Spike was stopped in place by a magic aura before he was able to make it very far.

"I think you should stay here Spike." Twilight said as she levitated him back through the door.

"B- But!" Spike stammered.

"No 'buts!'" Twilight said adamantly, as she placed him on the floor. "The Everfree forest is no place for a baby!"

Spike sighed and sat down on the floor. "Okay…"

It hurt Twilight to make him feel this way. But she just couldn't get past his size and age.

"I'm sorry Spike," Twilight said earnestly, "I just… can't let you."

Spike didn't say a word. He simply stood up, and walked up the stairs behind him toward his room.

"I'm sorry…" Twilight said again.

/

Apple Bloom walked toward the Everfree Forest with her older sister stuck on her back.

"Why are you goin' back in here?" Apple Teeny angrily, "I thought you learned yer' lesson last time!"

"I'm going to ask Zecora if she can help!" Apple Bloom said, "Alex said it himself! Discord is the cause of this!"

"Oh no! Apple Teeny said. "Take us back to the library now!"

"I don't think so!" Apple Bloom said to her miniature older sister.

"I'm your big sister, an' you'll listen to me!" Apple Teeny argued.

"You're forgettin' one thing," Apple Bloom said smugly, as she dropped her sister on a nearby branch, "I'm the big sister now!"

"Apple Bloom!" Apple Teeny squeaked, "Get back here!"

/

"I simply cannot believe that we are back in this dreadful forest!" Hairity complained.

"It's better than being stared at by all the ponies in town…" Alex said, still feeling all the eyes that had been on him.

"I think I preferred all the stares…" Hairity said.

"Quit complaining!" Crash said as she carried Alex, "At least you don't have a million pounds on your back!"

"Hey! I'm only like, half that!" Alex complained, "Besides! I like riding around with you like this! We should do it more often."

"Speak for yourself," Dash said. "Next time you're carrying me."

"Fair enough." Alex laughed.

"Um… Does anypony hear that?" Flutterguy said from the back of the group, stopping all the conversation.

Everypony listened for what she had been talking about. And, after a second, they all heard it.

"Help me!" A squeaky voice called from a nearby bush, almost too quiet to hear.

"I know that voice…" Crash said as she approached the talking bush.

Suddenly, Apple Teeny jumped out from the bush and landed next to Alex on Crash's back.

"Get outta my way!" Apple Teeny said, as she got in position to Applebuck Alex's hip. "I gotta get to Apple Bloom!"

"Just what do you plan on doing?" Alex asked, stifling his laughter, "Kick me off?"

Applejack's eyes narrowed as she smiled, "That's exactly what I plan to do!"

And with that, Apple Teeny kicked Alex right off Crash's back.

As soon as Alex was off, Crash immediately lost control of her wings, and flew off.

"Yee-haw!" Apple Teeny shouted as she headed toward the sky.

"I'll stop them!" Alex said as he tried to focus and bring them back. However, as soon as the spell started to cast, he felt a scorching hot heat in his head.

"Alex, stop!" Twilight shouted, "You don't have a horn, remember?"

Alex immediately stopped. He remembered what she had told him about that mysterious stallion. He died because he used magic without a horn, so, he would have to lay off until he could be transformed back into a pony.

"Let's follow them!" Twilight said, "I'm sure Applejack will have no problem steering Crash—Err, Dash toward Zecora's hut."

/

Spike huffed. This wasn't fair. Why should he not be allowed to go?

He was perfectly grown up.

But here he was, completely alienated from the group because he was a baby dragon.

Was that another kind of that 'racism' that Alex had mentioned?

Na, Twilight just didn't want him getting hurt, which, he really couldn't blame her for. It was almost like the situation that Apple Bloom was in with her sister... So… All he had to do was prove that he was able to handle himself!

That was it! He would go out and help them! Then maybe Twilight would let him come out more often!

Of course, proving himself wasn't the only way that he would be allowed to come along… If his wish were to come true, if the one thing his heart desired were to be his, he would be able to go with them in a heartbeat. But, it was never going to happen. So, he decided to forget about that, and focus on proving himself to Twilight.

And with that thought, he got up, and hurried out the door. They had quite the head start, so he would have to hurry!

/

The group followed Crash's from the group, until they finally saw her start circling something that was just in front of them.

"It must be just ahead!" Twilight said as she picked up the pace.

"Carthful!" Spitty said, "Youpth couthd gethed curthed!"

Twilight ignored the comment as she hurried forward.

Alex walked behind the group, taking this time to appreciate his human form. He was able to snap his fingers, scratch an itch, run his hands through his hair. You really don't realize how much you miss hands until you lose them. Reaching into his pocket, Alex was surprised to find his IPod.

Pulling it out of his pocket, Alex was even more surprised to see it still had power. There was so much he could do with this thing! Where could he start? After a moment of consideration, he got an idea.

"There it is!" Twilight said as they passed through a thick bunch of trees.

Everyone walked up behind Twilight.

"…Maybe we should just go home…" Flutterguy said timidly.

"Absolutely not!" Hairity said, "I haven't come all this way to NOT get my hair fixed!"

Twilight slowly approached the window and looked in.

Inside, stood Zecora chanting loudly, in a language none of them could understand.

Twilight couldn't help but be frightened by it.

Spitty started attempting to form words as she had before, however, she was still unable.

"Pinkie!" Hairity called, "Calm down!"

"Dang!" Alex said loudly, causing all the girls to turn and face him. "I can never get that one pig! And now he's laughing at me!"

Alex stood, playing on his IPod, oblivious to the odd looks he was getting.

"Uh… Alex?" Hairity asked, "Is this really the time?"

Alex clicked the button on the top of his IPod and slipped it into his pocket, "Oh! Sorry!"

Spitty approached the window, then started breathing quickly, as if she wanted to say something. So, she did the next best thing. She looked at Flutterguy with the saddest eyes she could muster.

Flutterguy sighed, then took a deep breath, and started singing Spitty's song.

"She's an evil enchant—"

"Seriously?" Alex cut in, "This again? This is racist! Stop singing this right now!"

Flutterguy looked at Spitty and shrugged.

Spitty sighed, and then let out a very depressed raspberry.

"You know… If you ask me, we should go in and demand a cure for this!" Hairity said boldly.

"We could just ask." Alex said, "Demanding will just cause a fight."

"What do you think Twilight?" Hairity asked, "You've been silent this whole time!"

"That place does look kinda… evil." Twilight said after a moment of silence, finally starting to believe what everypony had been telling her,

"Are you joking?" Alex almost shouted, "Please tell me this is a joke!"

"Well… Those masks… The chanting…" Twilight said slowly, "What else could it be?"

"Listen to yourself!" A voice called from behind them. "How could you think she's evil?"

Everyone turned around. It was Spike.

"What are you doing out here Spike?!" Twilight said angrily.

"That's not the issue right now!" Spike said in a serious enough tone to silence Twilight, "You think she's evil? Come on Twilight!"

Everyone remained silent.

"We're going to go in there, and we're going to ask her if she knows anything about this!" Spike instructed. "She's a little different! That's all!"

Twilight remained silent. He was right. How could she be so stupid? She would have barged right in and probably made herself look like a complete foal… She was happy that Spike showed up when he did… But she wasn't happy that he left the way he did. Either way, now wasn't the time to scold him.

Alex sighed happily, backup had arrived just in time.

"Thanks," Alex said to Spike, "I thought I was the only sane one left."

"Don't worry about it," Spike said, "Sometimes Twilight can lose sight of reason."

"At least you restored some order," Alex said, "Anyway, let's get in there."

Alex, Spike, and Twilight started heading for the door, but they stopped when they realized that they weren't being followed.

"You guys are coming too." Spike said flatly,

The three girls sighed, then started to follow behind them.

"Oh wait," Twilight finally spoke up, "One more thing."

Twilight's floppy horn glowed. For a minute no one knew what she was doing. But, it soon became clear as Crash and Apple Teeny were lowered to the ground.

"Good job Twi!" Apple Teeny said happily, "Now point us at the door, and send us in! We'll deal with her!"

"We're going to talk to her," Twilight said, "Be nice!"

Apple Teeny scoffed, as Twilight levitated her on to her back.

"Alex, care to help Dash out?" Twilight said, still holding Crash in place.

"Oh yeah!" Alex said happily as he jumped on her back, and wrapped his arms around her midsection.

"You're going to lie on my back?" Crash whined.

"Eeyup." Alex said simply.

"Let's get this over with then!" Crash said as she walked forward, and straight in through the front door.

"Can you cure us please?" Crash asked simply.

"Why have you come into my room?" Zecora asked, "Are you friends of Apple Bloom?"

"We sure are!" Spike said as he looked around the hut.

"I've sent her out to collect quite a lot," Zecora rhymed, "So that I may make your cure in this pot!"

"Our cure?" Everypony said in unison.

"It sure is!" Apple Bloom said from the door.

"Is this everythin' you needed Zecora?" Apple Bloom asked.

Zecora looked in the basket, and then nodded.

"So, what caused all of this to happen to us?" Twilight asked.

"Do you remember those leaves of blue that I mentioned to you?" Zecora asked.

"The flowers that we were standing in yesterday? Twilight asked.

Zecora nodded.

"It's the plant that does that!" Apple Bloom said. "They're called Poison Joke!"

"I know that name!" Spike said, "I read about them in that book Twilight refused to read!"

"What do they do?" Alex asked.

"They play jokes on ponies!" Spike explained.

That all made sense to Alex. Discord had said that they were affected by his most loyal subjects. And something like a bunch of practical joke playing flowers seemed to be right up his ally.

"So, we got pranked?" Crash asked.

Spitty spat all over the place, while making angry noises.

Crash had had enough of all this explanation. She just wanted to be cured.

"So… Do we drink that stuff?" Crash asked, slightly disgusted by the bubbling liquid in the pot.

"Nope!" Apple Bloom said, "You just gotta wash yerself in it!"

Crash wasn't sure if she liked that more, or less…

"No matter what it is, I simply must be rid of this horrible hair style!" Hairity said dramatically.

"It will be a moment, if you will just wait," Zecora said to Hairy, "Then you'll be rid of the hair that you hate."

So, everyone stood around patiently while Zecora mixed in the final ingredients, and got the potion to the temperature she wanted it.

"All you have to do, is soak your head," Zecora explained, "Then you'll be cured, just as I said."

Everyone looked back and forth nervously. None of them wanted to go first.

Finally, after a few moments of silence, Hairity stepped forward.

"Alright, let's do this!" She said confidently.

Taking a step forward, she decided to go for all or nothing, and outright dunk her head in the cauldron.

Everyone watched in anticipation as a white ring made its way down her body, and fixed her mane and coat, returning it to the way it used to be.

Pulling her head out, she was soaked, but happy to be normal again.

Spike stared at her with wide eyes. When rarity's hair was wet, and actually hanging down past her chin, she was even prettier than when her hair was done up, which was really saying a lot!

Rarity noticed Spike's staring, and winked. Causing him to blush lightly.

Following Rarity's being cured; everyone lined up, and took their turns, having their ailments removed.

Then, finally, after everypony else had been fixed, Alex was the last remaining one.

"I guess it's my turn… huh?" Alex asked nervously.

"We don't have all day!" Dash said as she stretched out her wings, happy to have them back to normal.

Alex sighed, it was fun while it lasted… But, he needed to be able to perform magic so he could get home. So, he walked over to the pot, and readied himself to dunk his head. However, he had one last thought before he did it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his IPod, then placed it on the table. He wanted that to stick around. He was sure he could find some magic spell to charge the battery.

Walking back to the pot, Alex took a deep breath, and then dunked his head in. He could feel the ring work its way down his body and return him to his pony form. As much as he was going to miss his hands, he knew that magic could more than make up for it.

Alex pulled his head out, then looked at Dash. "Better now?"

She winked, "Much."

Once Alex walked away from the pot, everypony walked toward Zecora and started continuously thanking her for helping them, and apologizing for assuming she was evil. They were happy to be back to normal.

During all the commotion, Spike took the opportunity to look at one plant in particular that Zecora had. He recognized it from the same book that had mentioned the Poison Joke. What had the name been? After a moment of thought, Spike remembered what it was called.

It was called Hearts Desire.

/


	23. Swarm of the Century Part 1

/

Chapter 13

Swarm of the Century – Part 1

/

Spike lay comfortably in his bed. Twilight had given him a day off after he came to the rescue yesterday. It had been awesome for him. He had proven himself to Twilight, and he had even pulled her out of what would have become a sticky situation.

And, to top everything off, Spike had gotten his claws on a rather powerful flower, Heart's desire. With it, he would be able to make all of his problems go away.

He could attempt to brew the potion right now, but apparently an inexperienced brewer can easily cause the potion to give nasty side effects. So, he wasn't going to take any chances.

Either way, for now, he was just going to relax in bed.

/

Twilight sighed. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were supposed to come and visit tomorrow. However, it seemed like nopony was even concerned! She was trying her best to make sure everything was organized for their arrival. But it was turning out to be a lot harder than she thought!

Banners were wrong, music was off, even the town itself was a mess.

Her next stop was Sugarcube Corner to check on the catering that had been prepared. At the very least, Twilight was confident that the catering would be perfect. It had been before, and it would be again.

However, before Twilight could go inside to do her inspection, she saw Pinkie bouncing away from the store, with a very excited look on her face. So, confidant that the Cakes had the catering under control, especially with Pinkie gone, Twilight decided to follow her.

After a few minutes, it quickly became apparent that she was bouncing toward The Carrousel Boutique. So, since this was another stop on her list, Twilight figured this justified going inside and finding out what Pinkie had been called there for.

/

"But Mr. Cake told me that you had an outfit for me!" Pinkie complained.

"Pinkie, I'm busy working on Rainbow Dash's outfit," Rarity said, "When would I have time to make an **entirely new **outfit for you?"

"I—I don't know!" Pinkie whined, "It's almost like they wanted me out of the store or something!"

"Maybe it's because you wouldn't stop eating the food!" Dash said, as Rarity worked away on her outfit.

"Na," Pinkie quickly dismissed, "It couldn't **possibly **be that!"

"Well, that makes sense." Twilight said, walking through the front door, happy to have her mystery solved.

"Mhmm." Dash agreed.

"What?" Pinkie asked innocently. "You guys think I eat too much?"

"Wow!" Twilight said, rolling her eyes at Pinkie, "You're doing a great job with the dresses, Rarity!"

"Do you think so?" Rarity asked modestly.

"Of course!" Twilight said looking at Dash, "She looks great!"

Dash cocked an eyebrow, earning a chuckle from Twilight.

"It definitely suits you!" Twilight said, laughing a little harder.

"Haw-haw." Dash said sarcastically. "I'm only wearing this because I owe Rarity a favor."

"Must be one heck of a favor…" Twilight said calming down, "What did she do for you?"

"She just kept a secret for me…" Dash said, suddenly in a very serious tone, "Let's keep it at that."

"Okay…" Twilight slowly, "Anyway, the dress really is nice on you."

"Do you really think so?" Dash asked hopefully.

"Oh yeah!" Twilight said as convincingly as possible.

"Well… If you say—" Dash said before being cut off by a fit of laughter from the front door.

Alex stood in the front door, laughing harder than he could ever remember.

Dash's embarrassment was immediately apparent. She was bright red, obviously unhappy with being seen by Alex this way.

"W-what are you **wearing**?" Alex asked, his eyes tearing up from his laughter. "You L-look like… Like a girl!"

Dash frowned. What did he mean? **Looked **like a girl? What did that make her the rest of the time?

"What then?" Dash asked angrily, "I'm a stallion the rest of the time?"

Alex thought for a moment, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Dash rolled her eyes, "Thanks."

"No problem! Now, what's go—"

"Everypony!" Fluttershy said, running in the room excitedly, before stopping and immediately returning to 'shy' mode, "Oh… I'm sorry… Did I interrupt you Alex?"

"Oh, no!" Alex said with a smile, "What did you want to want to say?"

"Oh, well! You won't believe what I found at the edge of the Everfree Forest!" Fluttershy said, shaking her hair lightly, causing five large fly-looking creatures to fall out. "Oh my! There's five?"

The bugs flew out from her hair, and circled around her.

"These are adorable!" Twilight said as a bug flew around her. "What are they?"

"I don't really know…" Fluttershy said, "I'm not even sure where those other four came from! I started with just one!"

Alex started at them, not making a sound.

"Do you guys all want one?" Fluttershy asked.

"Sure!" Twilight said.

"Definitely!" Dash said, flying over to Fluttershy.

"If you don't mind parting with it." Rarity said.

"You go over to Alex, little one," Fluttershy said, turning to Pinkie, "Would you like one?"

"Ugh, No!" Pinkie said, moving away from Fluttershy, causing the girls to get confused. Before they were able to ask her though, Alex started freaking out.

"You keep that thing **away** from me!" Alex said, backing away from the bug.

"Alex, what's wrong?" Twilight asked.

"That—That thing! I just… hate it!" Alex said, now hiding behind Pinkie.

"How could you hate these?" Fluttershy asked, confused.

"It's a bug! A **big **bug!" Alex said, still in defense mode.

"But… you squished a pretty big spider just the other day… I watched!" Twilight said.

"Yeah! **One **spider!" Alex explained, "There's like… five of those things! And they're **huge!"**

"They're harmless!" Dash said, gesturing for hers to fly toward Alex.

Alex tensed up as the bug flew over to him, and started rubbing itself against his face.

"See?" Fluttershy said, "It's nice!"

"No!" Alex said, swatting it away.

"Alright Alex, follow me!" Pinkie said to Alex. "We have to go find a trombone!"

Alex had no idea what she was talking about, but he was more than happy to be getting away from those bugs. So, the two headed out the door, leaving the rest of the girls completely confused.

"What's wrong with them?" Dash asked, "How could anypony possibly not one of these?"

"I really don't know." Rarity said.

"Oh well." Twilight said, "Just forget about them. They'll have to get used to them eventually."

/

"So… Why are we getting a trombone?" Alex asked Pinkie.

"Because the Parasprites are gonna take over Ponyville!" Pinkie said urgently.

"They are?!" Alex asked, more alarmed than before.

"They sure are!" Pinkie said, "I have most of the instruments we need at Sugarcube Corner, but we'll need to look for a few more!"

"But… **why** do we need instruments?" Alex asked again.

"Because we need to get rid of the Parasprites, silly! I just said that!" Pinkie giggled.

Alex gave up. He knew that Pinkie had an insane kind of genus to her. So he trusted her.

Pinkie looked up at the sky, and realized that it was already getting dark.

"Okay, we might have to call it a day…" Pinkie said, pulling a piece of paper and quill out of her hair with her mouth. She then wrote down a quick list of instruments.

"Okay!" Pinkie said, looking up from the paper, "Take this! I want you to look around for these instruments! We can meet up tomorrow at… Um, noon!"

Alex levitated the paper up off the ground and looked over the list.

"Okay…" Alex said after a moment, "I'll look for these. I can't promise much though."

"Perfect!" Pinkie said seriously, "Get plenty of rest tonight!"

Just as Pinkie finished speaking, her demeanor immediately changed back to her usual happy self as she bounced away.

Alex turned around and saw all of the girls walking away from Rarity's store, with their Parasprites following behind them. He shivered. At least there were only five. Anymore and he'd probably lose his mind.

/

A few hours had passed, and Alex had looked around for the few instruments that Pinkie had asked him to locate, but had no luck finding any. Accordions and tubas weren't the easiest things to come by in libraries. So, since he had given up for the night, he decided to stand in his room, and ponder the many questions that he had arisen today.

How were these instruments supposed to help anyway? What could they possibly do?

Again, Alex reminded himself of Pinkie, and the way she worked.

The one incident that he always thought back to, was when Pinkie masterfully manipulated Dash's friend Gilda into having a mental breakdown, causing her to leave Ponyville.

A small part of him even feared her…

But, as long as he kept on her good side, he wouldn't need to worry about it.

Alex looked at the clock on his IPod, and realized that it was pretty late already. Twilight and Spike were long asleep at this point. So, knowing that he would have a busy day tomorrow getting rid of those infernal bugs, he climbed into bed, and pulled the covers up, and tucked himself in as tightly as possible. Then, just to be sure, he cast a protective barrier around his bed to keep them, and any creepy buzzing noises, from getting to him. None of those parasprites would be getting him tonight, No sir!

/

Alex tossed and turned in his bed, plagued by dreams of evil flying bugs.

He was being chased though Ponyville by a swarm of parasprites that intended to land on him, and crawl all over him.

It didn't seem to matter how much he ran, they were always right behind him.

Alex ran himself into an ally, and found himself stuck at a dead end.

Turning around, he watched in fear as the bugs caught up to him, and then stopped.

He held his breath.

Slowly, one bug broke from the swarm, and flew toward him.

Then, to his horror, it landed on his nose.

Alex shouted as he woke, sitting up in his bed in a panic. Looking around, he couldn't see anything. It must still be night time.

Levitating his IPod in front of him, he bumped the screen with his hoof, causing it to light up.

"2:30 PM?!" Alex said in shock. "Why is it so dark?"

Getting out of bed, Alex bumped into the barrier he had cast the night before, having forgotten it was there.

As the shield vibrated from his impact, Alex finally understood why it was so dark. A patch of parasprites flew away from the impacted area, allowing a beam of light to shine in, and illuminate the inside of the shield.

All he could see were bugs.

"Holy buck!" Alex shouted, backing toward his bed. "How many of those things are there?!"

Alex did **not** like this. His heart pounded in his chest, and he could feel himself start to pant. The crazy thing was, that he hadn't even been this scared when he had faced the Ursa Major. Sure, he knew that it was a giant, pony squishing bear, but, in the end, it had been relatively easy to deal with.

But these parasprites… they were just like a swarm of fruit flies; completely harmless, but completely terrifying. He had never had any kind of explanation for his fear of insignificant and unthreatening bugs, but it was there. And parasprites were like taking his fear, and multiplying it by a million.

Adjusting the spell to shrink greatly, the thick coat of parasprites was displaced, causing several to fall on the floor, as the rest desperately tried to reattach themselves.

Realizing that they must have been attracted to this shield somehow, Alex poured some more power into it, giving it the ability to shock anything that touched it. He wanted them as far away from him as possible.

All of the parasprites tried to land back on his barrier, but were stopped by the shock that they received upon touching it.

After a few minutes of repeated attempts, the bugs finally stopped trying, and hung back.

So, seeing that all of these bugs were finally confused, Alex took that opportunity to escape, so he could find Twilight, and figure out what exactly was going on, before he broke down in very un-manly tears.

/

**Again, sorry for the short writing, hopefully I can get back into the usual swing of things soon. But, for now, things will just be a bit slower.**

**I actually wrote an entire other chapter, but decided that it was too soon to post it, as I didn't feel like I had progressed certain aspects of the story enough to make it plausible. **

**All that means is that I'll have a chapter pre-written for the future, and I'll be able to release two at once when the time comes.**

**Anyways, Thumbs Up if you like it!**


	24. Swarm of the Centure Part 2

/

Chapter 14

Swarm of the Century – Part 2

/

Sorry this took so long, but I hope you enjoy it!

/

Pinkie frowned. It wasn't like Alex to just ignore her, especially when she had put so much effort into telling him about the dangers of Parasprites.

As Pinkie had thought, the Parasprites had quickly multiplied. Generally, when they're in the Everfree forest, they can't find enough food to reproduce at this rate. But, when they find their way into towns, they have a tendency to eat all the food in town, giving them the ability to spawn almost infinitely.

She knew that the only way they could truly get rid of them all was to play all of those instruments and lead them away. So she couldn't slack off!

So, she pressed on. So far, she had found a harmonica, and a tuba. She wasn't finding much, but if she could scrounge together a few more instruments, she just might be able to do it.

"Pinkie!" A voice shouted from behind her.

Turning around, Pinkie could see Alex running toward her from an absolutely massive group of Paraspries.

"You might have to find them on your own!" Alex said quickly as he passed her, causing her to giggle. "But I'll play them with you once you get them all!"

"Good luck!" Pinkie called to him, as he disappeared into town.

Turning away from him, Pinkie was pleasantly surprised to see an abandoned garbage wagon, with afew cymbals in it.

Pulling the metal disks out of the back of the wagon, Pinkie was even happier to see that they were only a bit rigid around the edges. So, they would work just fine.

Just one or two more, and she'd be set!

Turning around, Pinkie saw her friends walking away from the town. So, she decided to follow them, so she could once again ask them for their help in locating the instruments.

/

Alex ran as fast as he could away from the swarm.

He wasn't sure where exactly he was going, but he was sure that he'd lose the bugs eventually.

He wished that he could be more help to Pinkie, but he just couldn't do it with this swarm constantly on him.

How exactly were they going to play a bunch of instruments anyway? It's not like he knew how to play a tuba, or bag pipes.

On the other hoof, how would he play an instrument without hands? However, after a second, he realized that the instruments were made so ponies could play them. Not humans…

This got Alex onto a completely other train of thought. How does a pony go about holding an instrument? Do they hold it up with their hoofs? Or is it held to their bodies by a strap? Or perhaps a tuba would wrap around their body to keep itself in place.

Now he wanted to see what Pinkie had in store more than ever! Was she going to give one instrument to each friend, and they would all play some kind of harmonizing notes, that'll drive off the Parasprites? They could call themselves the Elements of Harmony! What a great band name.

Suddenly Alex stopped. He had been so lost in his random thoughts, that he hadn't noticed the Parasprites had left him alone. He stood alone in the middle of a field on the outskirts of town, just outside the Everfree forest.

After a moment, Alex realized that the wind was particularly strong. It hadn't been like this a few moments ago. Looking around, he noticed that grass and leaves were being pushed by the wind. No… Not pushed… they were being **pulled. **Everything around him was being pulled toward a central point.

So, not having any idea what it was, Alex decided to go investigate.

/

"You can do it, Rainbow!" Twilight cheered as she watched Dash fly around in circles fast enough to create a small tornado.

Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy and Applejack, all watched in anticipation as Dash sucked up all of the Parasprites from around the town, and contained them within her vortex.

"Come on, girl!" Applejack encouraged, "give 'em what for!"

"Oh look…" Fluttershy said as loudly as she could over the winds, "There's Pinkie Pie…"

The girls all turned their attention to the pink pony with the large cymbals that hung from her neck.

Seeing that she had been noticed, Pinkie spoke up. "Hey Girls! Wanna help me—"

Unfortunately, before Pinkie could finish, the cymbals that hung from her neck started to pull away from her body, until the string keeping them around her neck broke, sending the two metal disks right into the tornado.

"Hey! Give those back!" Pinkie called angrily.

Dash watched as the cymbals flew toward her, and tried her best to dodge them, while keeping the tornado stable. However, it was impossible.

"It's breaking up!" Dash called, causing everypony run away in opposite directions.

"Get back to town everypony!" Twilight called, running away, "We have to keep them from eating everything!"

Everypony followed her instruction, and followed behind her. Except for Pinkie, who stood, still angry at the loss of her instrument.

"You too Pinkie!" Twilight shouted angrily. "You have to help fix this!"

Pinkie scoffed, and walked off on her own.

Alex, however, was just coming over a hill behind them, and didn't hear Twilight.

Seeing him below, Dash looked toward him and tried to tell him to stay back. But, as she was facing away from them, she was struck in the side of the head with a cymbal.

Following that, the entire tornado lost its integrity, as Dash and the Parasprites were sent flying away in all directions.

Alex gulped as he watched the Parasprites head toward him. Under normal circumstances, Alex would have pulled back up his shield. But, he could clearly see that Dash wasn't in any condition to land safely. So, he had to choose. Protection from gross bugs, or protecting Dash.

Had he had more time to mull over the decision, he may have chosen differently, but, in the heat of the moment, he caught Dash with a quick levitation spell, and landed her on the ground safely, just in time for him to be hit by the Parasprites.

Now, Alex would go on to deny this, but he let out a very un-manly scream when those bugs hit him. So unmanly, that anypony would have assumed that it was Dash crying out in pain.

After shaking the bugs off of him, Alex saw that Dash hadn't gotten up yet. So, he created a powerful shockwave, that he used to push the Parasprites far enough away, so that he could generate a barrier big enough to encompass himself and Dash.

"Colors!" Alex shouted, running over to her unmoving form on the ground. "Are you okay?"

Not hearing a response, Alex started to panic. Inspecting her body, he saw that the cymbal had hit her at an angle, causing it to cut deeply into the side of her head, and into her ear. And as a result, she was bleeding terribly. Forgetting about the barrier spell, Alex focused on what he could possibly do to help her.

Alex knew a small amount of healing magic, but as far as his studies had taught him, magic wasn't very proficient at healing large injuries. It required too much energy, and it didn't produce strong enough results. The best he could do was healing a bruise… But nothing like this.

Unfortunately, since his magic lessons had been put on hold because of Discord, he hadn't learned to make any kind of refined teleport... So he couldn't get her to a hospital

Looking around for Twilight, Alex realized that she had headed back into town. His heart started to race, what was he going to do?

"Alex…" Dash muttered, "My head hurts…"

"Just take it easy," Alex instructed, happy to see her talking. "You hit your head."

"Am I hurt bad?" Dash asked.

"You're bleeding a little bit…" Alex lied, watching as the copious amount of red mixed with her blue coat, causing it to turn a dark purple.

"Can you fix it…?" Dash asked hopefully, trying to keep herself from dozing off to sleep.

"I…" Alex began, feeling his heart pound in his chest, "I don't think there's much I can do…"

"That sucks…" Dash said slowly, clearly starting to pass out.

"Colors!" Alex said loudly, "I need you to stay with me here!"

Dash didn't answer.

Alex didn't know what to do. This had all happened so fast. He was in shock.

Desperately, Alex lowered his horn to Dash, and started pouring as much magic as he could into his healing spell.

Unfortunately, almost nothing was happening.

"Colors!" Alex shouted; giving up on the spell as tears started to fill his eyes.

Suddenly, Alex felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Use this." A voice that Alex recognized as Discords said, "I promise, **nothing** bad will happen."

Suddenly Alex felt a rush of power within himself. But, it was different from anything that he had ever felt. His usual magic had never given him this kind of rush... This new power flowed through his veins, was just begging to be released. Turning around to confront Discord, Alex saw that he was gone.

Alex sighed. Whatever this power was, he was going to have to use it. He had no time to think it over. So, knowing full well that this would probably end badly, he pointed his horn toward her, and cast the same spell he had cast before.

But, this time, he allowed this new power to come out with it. His usual white magic aura was replaced with a black one, and, almost instantly, the wound on the back of her head healed.

As the spell finished, the remainder of the power drain out of his horn, and sunk into the ground, changing the grass into a solid stone with a checkerboard pattern.

"What the—"Alex said, watching in confusion as the ground morphed.

"Mmm…" Dash mumbled, "Alex?"

"Colors?" Alex said, forgetting all about the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Uh… Did you heal me?" Dash asked, seeing Alex nod. "I thought you said—"

Alex threw his arms around her, and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry about it."

That was good enough for Dash. So, she simply closed her eyes and sighed happily. However, their hug was cut short by a parasprite landing on her nose.

"Oh no!" Dash shouted, sitting up. "I forgot about the bugs!"

Alex sighed loudly. "Let's just forget about them, let them do their thing."

"Wha…?" Dash said, surprised by his serious tone, "You're joking, right?"

"Uh…" Alex said, shaking his head quickly. "Of course! Let's go help everypony out."

"That's what I want to hear!" Dash said smiling and standing up. "Let's go!"

Dash turned and was about to fly toward town when she noticed the ground below them.

"Alex, what happened to the ground?" Dash asked, baffled.

"Magic stuff," Alex lied, "Just forget about it."

"Sure…" Dash said giving the checkerboard ground one more look, before taking off.

Alex couldn't believe he had just tried to ignore the problem. The thing was he had really wanted to!

Deep down, he was afraid that his attitude was caused by that power Discord had given him. He obviously taken advantage of the situation Alex was in, and used it to make him use that strange magic.

Normally he would have stopped Discord from doing anything to him… But he had been so focused on Dash that he didn't have any kind of defense up.

Either way, it was done. And he was going to have to live with the consequences. But, no matter how bad they turned out to be, he had saved Dash. So it would be worth it.

/

The Parasprites flew though the town, eating everything that they came across. All the hard work that everypony put into getting ready for Princess Celestia and Princes Luna had been ruined. So now, the main objective was saving the town.

Twilight was sure that she had the solution to everypony's problems now though. She had discovered a spell that had the ability to remove appetite from any creature, causing them to have no interest in food.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Spike asked Twilight.

"It's the only thing I can think of." Twilight answered, remaining focused on the swarm in front of her.

"Okay," Spike said, crossing his claws "Let's do this!"

So, she was going to cast the spell, and the Parasprites would lose all of their appetite for any kind of food. It was simple. What could go wrong?

Twilight cast the spell, and a bright light erupted from her horn, and instantly engulfed the entire town, and the surrounding area.

When the bright light faded, Twilight looked at a parasprite that was hovering just above an apple just a short distance away from her, and held her breath.

The parasprite looked back and forth for a moment then turned back to the apple and opened its mouth. But after a moment, the parasprite decided that it didn't want it, and simply flew away.

"Yes!" Twilight shouted, happy to see that her spell had succeeded.

Unfortunately, when that parasprite flew away from the apples, it moved toward a sign hanging over a door, and took a massive bite out of that instead.

"Wha-?" Twilight said slack jawed, "But… But… That's just not fair!"

"They're eating… everything else?" Spike said slowly.

Suddenly, something popped into Spike's head.

"Oh no!" Spike shouted, "I have to go check on something!"

Twilight watched as Spike ran away, and as Alex and Dash walked toward her.

"What's going on?!" Dash asked, alarmed at the amount of damage being done to the town.

"A spell backfired…" Twilight sighed. "They won't eat food… They'll just eat everything else…"

"What are we gonna do instead then?" Alex asked.

"I… I don't know." Twilight said hanging her head and admitting defeat.

"Twilight!" Rarity called, heading toward them from the edge of town. "What's happened to all of the bugs?"

"A spell backfired," Alex answered for her, "The parasprites are eating everything in town that ISN'T food.

"Well, there must be something you can do!" Rarity said as she watched the Parasprites tear apart the town.

Unfortunately, Twilight was completely out of ideas.

"Wait a moment…" Rarity said suddenly. "If they're eating everything in town… That means… Oh no!"

Without another word, Rarity ran from the group, toward her house. If those pesky bugs got into her shop, they'd eat all of her dresses!

Quickly getting to the Carousel Boutique, Rarity ran through the front door, and was shocked to see Spike standing in front of her storage room.

"Get out of here!" Spike shouted, not having noticed Rarity. "She's worked way too hard on these for you to eat them!"

Rarity felt her heart skip a beat.

Spike watched as the massive swarm of bugs all got together in front of him, and readied to charge him all at once. Starting to worry, Spike realized that they were going to get past him anyway… Even after all the effort he had put into protecting her stuff.

If only there was some way to get rid of them.

Then a light went off in his head.

It wasn't the best option. But Rarity was the top of his priority list.

"I hope I don't get in too much trouble for this…" Spike said aloud, as he inhaled deeply.

Rarity, still standing at the front door, watched in surprise as Spike blew a massive green flame, causing the large group of parasprites to fizzle out of sight.

Realizing that Spike had just gotten rid of the bugs, Rarity quickly closed the doors and windows, then nailed them closed with a few pieces of wood and a hammer. Nothing else was going to get in her store today.

"Ugh," Spike said noticing Rarity, as he collapsed on the ground, coughing profusely. "Remind me not to do that again!"

Rarity finished reinforcing her house, then quickly went to his side. However, she wasn't sure what to say. Spike had just rescued her. When all of Ponyville was in trouble, he had thought of her first.

"Spike… I…" Rarity started, still unsure of how to thank him. "Thank you so much…"

"It was nothing," Spike laughed tiredly.

"But it wasn't!" Rarity insisted. "It was everything!"

Spike blushed lightly.

"Why did you come here, instead of the library or someplace else?" Rarity asked.

"Well… I wanted to make sure you were okay…" Spike admitted starting to blush a little harder.

Now, this was normally the part where the damsel in distress would kiss the hero. But, unfortunately, Spike didn't quite fit the profile.

Rarity sighed. It really wasn't fair. Here was the most polite, chivalrous, and sweet gentlecolt that she had ever met. But he was a dragon.

A baby dragon.

Rarity knew that there was a lineup of colts that would literally fight for her affections. But, none of them came even close to Spike.

Deciding that he deserved SOMETHING, Rarity lifted him up with a spell and gave him a kiss on each cheek.

"Thank you Spike." Rarity said smiling sweetly.

Spike felt his heart flutter. "You're welcome."

Suddenly, the moment was interrupted by a loud 'thud' of somepony running into the door.

"Hey!" They heard Pinkie call from outside the door. "Did you lock this door?"

"Just wait for her to leave…" Spike whispered to her.

Rarity nodded quickly, glancing toward the door.

"Hellooooo?" Pinkie said loudly.

The two remained silent, frozen in place, until they finally heard Pinkie start walking away, murmuring something to herself.

Turning back to Spike, Rarity realized that she was sill levitating him.

"Oh, forgive me!" Rarity said, placing him on the ground.

"So… How are we going to get out?" Spike said, realizing that they were now sealed inside.

"I'm not letting another one of those bugs in here." Rarity said firmly. "You'll just have to stay here with me until they're gone."

Spike smiled. He could manage that.

/

Pinkie walked happily through the town.

She had finally found the last instrument, and now was the time to get rid of the Parasprites.

Pinkie trotted through the town with a collection of instruments arranged on her back. Walking past Twilight, Alex, and Dash, She decided to ask see what was up.

"What's everypony doing?" Pinkie asked. "Why are you all just sitting around?"

"There's nothing we can do…" Twilight said. "I'd be in the library trying to find a way to stop them… But they ate all the words of out the books."

Alex nodded. "I saw it happen. It was just as weird as you're imagining it to be."

"So?" Pinkie asked. "I have the solution to our problems right here!"

"Oh, you got all the instruments?" Alex asked excitedly.

"Yeah!" Pinkie said smiling, "Wanna help me get rid of the parasprites?"

"You know it!" Alex said standing up, and standing beside her.

"You guys in?" Pinkie asked hopefully.

The deadpan look that she received from the two was the only response she needed.

"Okay Alex, looks like it's just us!" Pinkie said as she started walking toward the center of town. "Come on!"

Alex followed behind her happily, still trusting her.

"Alright, Alex," Pinkie started, "See all these instruments here?"

Alex nodded.

"I'm going to play them." Pinkie continued. "And they'll follow the music! So we can lead them away from the town with it!"

"Ooooh." Alex said finally understanding. His trust hadn't been misplaced. Looking at the arrangement on her back, he had to admit that he was impressed. Pinkie was holding an amazing amount of instruments. There was an accordion, a tuba, a banjo, a harmonica, and even a small pair of cymbals on either of her front legs. How she had fit these all on was a mystery to him, that he wasn't about to ask about.

"I wasn't able to fit this last one on…" Pinkie said, "So do you wanna play it?

Pinkie reached behind her, and picked up the instruments with her mouth, and showed it to Alex.

"Oh yes." Alex said confidently. "I can play that for you."

/

Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash all stood at the arranged arrival place for the Princesses. Everything had fallen apart in such a short amount of time. And, as much as Twilight felt like she failed, she knew that Celestia or Luna would be able to fix this problem without any trouble at all. So, she was going to ask them to help as soon as they arrived, and hoped that something could be salvaged in terms of a visit to Ponyville.

"This has been a cruddy day…" Dash sighed.

"I wish I had never found that bug…" Fluttershy said sadly.

"Y'all can say that again." Applejack agreed. "A big swarm of 'em came up to the farm and ate the whole barn… Poor Granny Smith fainted at the sight of it!"

A Parasprite flew over and landed itself on Twilight's head. She never thought that something so small could be so destructive.

"Do you guys hear that?" Dash said, looking toward the town.

"Music?" Fluttershy said.

"But… The Precession for their arrival should come from Canterlot… Not Ponyville." Twilight said, completely confused.

"Uh…" Applejack said, spotting the source of the music. "Y'all are gonna want to see this."

The girls all turned and looked, and were simply shocked.

Pinkie and Alex marched away from Ponyville, playing instruments.

But that wasn't all. Behind them, were all of the Parasprites from town, bouncing in time to the music.

As the two marched closer, they saw that Pinkie was playing sever different instruments that were all on her back. While Alex, was simply hitting a triangle every few seconds in time with the music.

The four girls stood in awe as the two led every single parasprite from the town.

"Twilight Sparkle has thrown a parade in our honor, sister!" Luna's voice bellowed from behind everypony.

Snapping around, Twilight had completely missed the arrival of the two princesses, each in their own carriage.

How did they show up so fast?

"What are these creatures?" Celestia asked, as the long line of parasprites bounced past her. "They're simply adorable!"

"They're not **that** adorable." Dash grumbled, as she started walking over to Alex who now stood on the edge of the Everfree forest, as the parasprites bounced past him and Pinkie.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news…" Celestia began, "It appears that some kind of pest has appeared in Canterlot recently."

"Um… Pest?" Twilight asked, her voice cracking a bit.

"Yes, reports say that a large swarm of bugs appeared in the throne room a only a few minutes ago, and have started terrorizing Canterlot." Celestia said, "So, I'm afraid that we'll have to reschedule our visit to Ponyville."

Twilight though for a moment. How could a group of parasprites possible shown up in the throne room? That room was sealed. The only possible way for something to appear in there was for Spike to send it with his fire.

Oh.

"We must take our leave Twilight Sparkle," Luna said loudly, "However, I do look forward to spending time with your friends again."

Twilight smiled. "I look forward to it too."

"Oh," Celestia said, turning around. "Would you like to give me your latest lesson on friendship while I'm here?"

"Of course!" Twilight said, momentarily collecting her thoughts. "I've learned… that sometimes the solution to your problems can come from where you least expect it… It's a good idea to stop and listen to your friends' different opinions, and perspectives… even when they're absolutely crazy ones."

"That is a very valuable lesson, Twilight." Princess Celestia said, "However, we must be heading back now."

"Of course, Princess." Twilight said bowing.

"Oh," Celestia said, just as her carriage stared to pull away. "Tell Spike that I'm sure he had his reasons."

"I will!" Twilight laughed as he princesses headed away.

She then turned back to Alex and Pinkie, and watched as the last of the parasprites bounced away into the forest.

"I think I may have hit my head harder than I thought." Dash said, as Pinkie and Alex stopped playing. "None of this makes sense."

"We did it!" Alex said, holding up a hoof, as Pinkie gave him a high five.

"Listen… Pinkie…" Twilight said slowly, approaching the two.

"No need to apologize." Pinkie said with a smile. "If I were you, I would have thought I was crazy too!"

"You guys should start a band!" Dash laughed.

"I don't know…" Applejack chimed in, "It seems like Pinkie was doin' most of the work there."

"No!" Alex said, mock-defensively. "Without the soul I added with that triangle, the Parasprites never would have followed us!"

The girls laughed at his response.

"Hey, Pinkie." Twilight said, "Why don't you tell us about the whole 'instrument thing' over dinner? If there's anything left to eat."

"Sure!" Pinkie said, walking with Twilight in the front of the group, as everypony followed behind, listening to her story. Well, everypony except Alex.

Alex wasn't sure if now was the best time to bring up that weird magic moment he had. So, he decided to remain silent for now. All of the magic had been expelled when he healed Dash. So, hopefully, it was all over with.

It wouldn't come back, and that would be that.

But somehow he wasn't so sure of that.


	25. Heart's Desire

/

Heart's Desire

/

Spike walked into his and Twilights room, happy to have some time to be alone.

Spike reached under Twilights bed and pulled out a box that contained the flower he had earlier taken from Zecora.

Twilight had left the house so she could go assist in the cleanup of Ponyville, so he would have plenty of time to himself.

Pulling a book out from under his pillow, Spike turned to the page he had bookmarked, and continued reading up on this flower.

So far, he had learned that Hearts Desire was a very powerful flower on its own, even when it wasn't used in potions.

Apparently, if someone were to wish for something hard enough, the flower would activate itself, and grant the wish. However, this actually happening was extremely rare, as the wish would have to be so powerful, that the flower was able to see it.

So, when a few ponies decided that they wanted to control the flower, so they could have power over others, they started to experiment with Hearts Desire in potions. Unfortunately for them, the flower played tricks on them instead of actually granting their wishes. Which, well, ended badly for them.

So, years later, Princess Celestia put the best potion brewers in Canterlot on unlocking the secrets of the flower. And, eventually, they did. However, it seemed that potion would only grant the wish of somepony who truly deserved it.

It wouldn't grant a selfish wish that somepony tried to get through the flower. It would only grant a truly pure heart's desire.

Which made Spike start to worry.

Could his desire really be considered to be that way pure? Somehow, he didn't think so.

He had continued reading in hopes of finding another way of using the flower. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be another one. He was starting to feel a bit put out over it.

Still, for now, he was going to finish up this book, and hope for something to come up.

/

Rarity stood in her front lawn, collecting all the bits of debris that had been left by the parasprites. She silently mulled over the events of yesterday in her head… However, as crazy as the whole Parasprite situation had been, that wasn't what she was thinking about…

She couldn't seem to get Spike off her mind.

After he had saved her store yesterday, she had been looking at him in an entirely different light.

Sure, she knew that Spike had a crush on her. And she had always thought it rather cute. But, now she was starting to return those feelings.

Was that wrong?

She knew that Spike was years more mature than his size would lead one to think… And he wasn't really a baby anymore. He was just a baby by dragon standards.

Rarity bit her lip. What would the repercussions be, if she were to just ignore the norm, and pursue a relationship with him?

Obviously that was out of the question, which is exactly why she was going to have to keep her distance from him for a while. These feelings were dangerous, and she knew nothing good would come of them.

So, she was going to stay away from him for the next few weeks, until she could get these feelings under control.

"Hey, Rarity!" A voice said, causing her to look up.

"Spike?" Rarity said, surprised. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Well, I was alone in the library, so I decided to head over here and see if you needed any help cleaning up!" Spike said with a smile.

Rarity remained silent. How could she turn him away now? He had come all the way over here just to help her out.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather be somewhere else?" Rarity asked, hoping he'd say yes, but secretly wanting him to say no. "I'd rather you be off enjoying yourself, than being stuck here cleaning up with me."

"But I will enjoy myself!" Spike explained, "There isn't anything I'd rather be doing today!"

Rarity blushed lightly, "Well, that means a lot to me Spike… Thank you."

"No problem!" Spike said.

"Well, I suppose we should get to work, since this yard is in such a state of disarray." Rarity said.

"Sure!" Spike said as he started gathering up bits and around the lawn.

Rarity stood and watched the baby dragon start to work. She could feel herself starting to tear up. Why did he have to be so perfect? Why did he have to be this way toward her? Why… Why couldn't he have been born a pony?

"Um… Rarity?" Spike asked, noticing her stare.

"Oh… F-Forgive me" Rarity stammered. "Why don't I go grab us some refreshments?"

"Sure!" Spike said smiling.

"Alright," Rarity said, trying her best to smile normally, "What would you like?"

"Whatever you get me will be great!" Spike said, resuming his cleaning.

Hearing this, Rarity quickly turned and headed into her house.

Closing the door behind her, Rarity sat down and rested her back against it, as her tears started to flow freely.

Rarity sat in silence for a few minutes, letting all of her emotion out. She had forgotten all about the drinks she had gone to get. At this point, all she wanted was for him to come inside and hold her.

But, at the same time, she knew he couldn't.

So, standing herself up, Rarity tried her best to wipe the tears away from her face.

Unfortunately, she didn't have enough time to fix herself before Spike entered the house.

"Rarity?" Spike asked, looking at the mare who was facing away from him. "Is something wrong?"

Rarity remained silent, not daring look at him.

"Rarity?" Spike asked, approaching her. "Have you been crying?"

"You—you'll have to forgive me." Rarity stammered, turning to face Spike, "I was just thinking about… somepony."

"Oh… Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?" Spike asked, concerned.

Of course he would ask that.

"Oh… No thank you, Spike." Rarity said, starting to compose herself.

"Well, would you like me to finish the work outside?" Spike asked, "You probably want to go fix yourself up, huh?"

Rarity quickly looked at her hoof that she had just been rubbing her tears with. Seeing the stain on her coat, she figured that her makeup must have been running.

"Maybe we should cut this a bit short…" Rarity said, knowing that she had to take this opportunity, whether she wanted to or not. "I fear I'll need a bit of time to make myself presentable again…"

"Oh…" Spike said dejectedly, "I-If you want."

"I'm very sorry Spike…" Rarity said, knowing full well this was hurting his feelings.

"Don't worry about it," Spike said, only wanting what was best for her, "I hope you're feeling better soon!"

Rarity smiled, "Thank you Spike… I appreciate that."

Spike headed back toward the front door. "Let me know when you're feeling better! We can get right back to this!"

"Of course," Rarity said. "I'll see you soon."

Rarity closed the door and immediately felt the tears start to flow again. She decided to go lie down for a bit. She could finish cleaning up when she calmed down. But… what was she supposed to do about seeing Spike soon? Well… She'd just have to put it off. She **had** too.

/

A few days later

/

Spike opened his eyes slowly. He didn't want to get out of bed. His body was completely sore after all the cleaning he had been doing for the town.

But, yesterday they had officially finished fixing up the town. So, Spike had earned a little time to rest. Unfortunately, as he closed his eyes, his mind immediately started to wander to thoughts of Rarity. These thoughts persisted, and ruined his attempt to get back to sleep.

Spike sighed, giving up on sleep, and climbed out of bed.

He hadn't heard a word from Rarity for days. In fact, almost nopony had even seen her. Her store had just been completely closed.

He was going to ask Alex to go over there with him today, but Twilight took him out on some kind of training session in the Everfree forest, that she had planned last night. So, he was on his own.

Turning his thoughts back to Rarity, he sure hoped that she was starting to feel better.

It was obvious that she had been upset by something. Spike had no idea what it was, but… he just wanted to cheer her up.

Spike walked over to Twilight's bed and grabbed the Heart's Desire out of its usual hiding spot.

"I don't suppose you'd be able to grant that wish for me, huh?" Spike said to the flower.

And, as he expected, he didn't receive a response.

Inspecting the flower, Spike couldn't help but notice how nice it was. The way the pink petals curved up from the stem and met each other in the shape of a heart was beautiful. And it would always look this way too.

At first, he had been surprised that the flower hadn't withered. However, after his extensive reading on the plant, he learned that it would only shrivel when it had granted a wish.

Looking the flower over, Spike knew that it was no longer the solution he originally thought it to be.

The plant would never grant his wish to become a pony, nor would it grant the wish for Rarity to be happy gain. He knew that now… So, the flower was now… Just a flower.

Then it hit him. Maybe it **could** help him!

What could he do with a beautiful flower? Maybe he could give it Rarity to cheer her up!

Very happy with his idea, Spike ran out the door, and headed for The Carousel Boutique. This may not cheer her up completely, but hopefully it would make her a bit happier.

/

Rarity sat in front of her mirror, finishing her usual morning routine. She wasn't exactly sure how this whole 'get over Spike' thing was supposed to go, but by her account, it wasn't going well.

She had committed herself to moving past him the last few days, but she was afraid that she had made little to no progress.

She just couldn't let him go. He worked far too hard for her affections for her to just push him aside…

Ever since that night that Trixie was in town, Rarity had seen Spike in a different light. The feelings had slowly been growing inside her, until they exploded a few days before, during the Parasprite swarm.

Now, she found herself constantly wishing that Spike would come over, so she could just talk to him. It may have made her a bit selfish, but she loved it when he would endlessly try to please her. Not because she liked having a servant or anything… She just loved being so unconditionally cared for. Her happiness was always his main objective.

And that was what put him at the front of the pack.

Rarity was no foal. She knew what the other boys **really** wanted from her when they volunteered to help her out… which is why she flat out refused all of their attempts at courting her. She needed a pony who would take care of her, the way Spike constantly tried too.

…Why couldn't Spike just be a pony?

Rarity's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knocking on the door.

She knew that somepony would have to come checking on her eventually. So, she looked herself in the mirror to ensure that she was presentable, and then went downstairs to greet her guest.

Opening the front door, Rarity was overwhelmingly happy to see that it was Spike at the door. Not one of her other friends.

"Hey Rarity… I know that you're feeling bad…" Spike said slowly, before spitting the rest out, "So-I-brought-you-this."

Rarity felt her heart flutter as Spike revealed a flower that he had been hiding behind his back.

Rarity levitated the flower up to her face, and couldn't help but feel her heart melt at the heart shape of the petals.

Spike smiled. He always loved seeing her smile... But, for some reason, this was different from her usual smile…

Spike had always known her to have a small, ladylike smile on her face, making sure to never over express it. But right now, she was smiling in a way he had never seen before.

Rarity knew she should have closed the door after he gave her this, and try her best to not to let it affect her… But she couldn't. Something was stopping her.

"Well," Spike said awkwardly, noticing that she hadn't said anything. "I guess I'd better go… I hope you're feeling better Rarity."

Rarity watched as Spike turned, and took a few steps away.

'You know what?' Rarity said to herself, throwing caution to the wind, 'buck it.'

"Spike!" Rarity said running over to him, with the flower still floating behind her. "Wait!"

Turning around, Spike expected her to say something else. But, he was instead shocked when she pressed her lips against his.

Rarity closed her eyes, and enjoyed every moment of it. She was doing this with him, and nothing was going to stop her.

Spike didn't take long to get the memo. He closed his eyes, did what felt natural, and pushed himself a little closer into her, and lifted is hand to her cheek.

Since the two were so lost in one another, neither of them noticed when the flower levitating behind Rarity withered, and then fell apart, having granted her wish.

Rarity, still with her eyes closed, was somewhat confused when she felt Spike rise up… So, she simply followed wherever his lips went. This kiss wasn't stopping now.

After a moment, she decided that she must have been subconsciously levitating him. Because he was just above her head, as she was now looking having to look up slightly.

Then another thing struck her… Did his lips get softer?

As much as Rarity was enjoying the moment, she slowly opened her eyes to see what was going on.

And there, right in front of her face, was a purple pony, with a green mane.

Rarity gasped, and pulled away from him.

Opening his eyes, Spike was confused. "Rarity, what's wrong?"

"W-w-what happened to you? Rarity stammered, immediately recognizing Spikes voice.

"What do you mean?" Spike said, lifting a hoof to his face. "Is there something on my- my- my..."

Spike went wide eyed. He no longer had a hand… He had a hoof!

"Spike… You're… A-a pony!" Rarity said, still in shock.

Upon hearing those words, Spike up and fainted.

Rarity looked around, and then to the unconscious pony, and couldn't help but feel a bit cheated. "Isn't fainting MY job?"

/

**Remember to review! I'd like to hear your thoughts!**


	26. His New Chapter

/

His New Chapter

/

Twilight walked toward the Carousel Boutique, and knocked on the door.

She had received an urgent message from Rainbow Dash, saying that Rarity needed her back in town immediately. So, she teleported from the Everfree Forest, back to Ponyville, so no time would be wasted.

After a few moments, Rarity slowly opened the door, with a very conflicted look on her face.

"Why did I need to come back into town so badly?" Twilight asked, taking note of Rarity's expression.

"Um…" Rarity began, obviously lost. "It's a rather long story… But perhaps I should cut to the chase."

Rarity opened the front door to her house all the way, and exposed the unconscious pony on the floor of her shop.

"Oh my goodness!" Twilight said, rushing in. "Who is this? What happened to them?"

"Oh, don't worry, darling." Rarity said, still avoiding the inevitable. "He's just fainted. But… That isn't the real problem at hoof."

"Then, what is it?" Twilight asked, not sure what was worse than an unconscious pony on your floor.

"Well…" Rarity said slowly, "It's Spike…"

"Huh?" Twilight asked, not understanding, "What about Spike?"

Rarity remained silent, as she glanced back and forth between the unconscious Spike, and Twilight.

At first, Twilight was completely lost. But, as the moments passed, she slowly started to understand.

The serious look on Rarity's face, combined with the purple coated pony, and the green mane, started to make the wheels in her head turn.

"No…" Twilight said quietly. "Please tell me this is some kind of practical joke!"

"I wish I could," Rarity said, "But… That's Spike."

"B-But… he's bigger than me!" Twilight shouted, "Spike was only a baby!"

"I noticed that myself, yes…" Rarity said.

"H-How did this happen?!" Twilight stammered. "Dragons don't just turn into ponies!"

Rarity remained silent. It was clear that Twilight was losing her cool over this.

"What even went on?" Twilight questioned, "You were there, right?"

"Um… Well, you see…" Rarity said, trying her best to fabricate a story that didn't involve her kissing him into a pony.

Twilight's eye twitched as she waited for Rarity to explain the circumstances of Spike's transformation.

Spike started to stir. Twilight's voice had always been the thing he woke up too. So, it was working like a charm right now.

Opening his eyes, Spike noticed that he wasn't in his bed. He was in… Rarity's house?

"So, you're telling me that he just transformed into a pony, for no reason whatsoever?" Twilight asked, "One moment a dragon, and a pony the next?"

"Well, you see…" Rarity tried to say.

"What were you doing when it happened?" Twilight continued.

Spike's eyes widened, as he shot up, into a sitting position.

"I-I-I'm… A pony!" Spike shouted, putting his hoofs to his face, and eventually bumping into a horn. "I'm a unicorn!"

"Spike!" Twilight said, relieved to hear him talking. "Are you okay?"

"I... I think so…" Spike said, completely baffled at the change.

"What happened?" Twilight asked, having quieted down a bit. "Do you remember?"

Spike thought for a moment. Everything was a blur right now. His mind raced a million miles a minute trying to figure out what had happened.

Noticing how dry his lips were, Spike licked them lightly, and noticed something odd.

Now, having a pony mouth was obviously new to him. But there was something **on** his lips. Something… Waxy. Something like… Lipstick?

Then it all came rushing back to him. Giving Rarity the flower, her kissing him, his realization that he was a pony… Then him fainting. It must have been the Heart's Desire…

Looking toward Rarity, Spike could see that she was nervous. She obviously didn't want him explaining exactly what had happened.

"I… I went to check on Rarity, since nopony had seen her in a few days." Spike said, "When I got there, I told her that I hoped she'd be feeling better soon. Then, while I was walking away, it just happened!"

Rarity sighed happily. Spike had her back.

Twilight was miffed. Stuff like this just didn't happen… There must have been some kind of explanation. But, it didn't look like she would be getting one at the moment.

"Alright, I'm sure we'll figure this out eventually…" Twilight said, "But for now, we have to work on reversing this!"

"Reversing this?" Spike asked. "I don't think that-"

"Don't worry Spike," Twilight said, "We'll get this figured out. Are you able to walk?"

Spike slowly leaned forward, and placed his hoofs on the floor in front of him. Then, he lifted his backside up with his hind legs.

Standing upright on his new four legs, Spike could feel himself wobbling. Taking a step forward, Spike found himself unsure of which leg to move next.

"Okay, Spike." Twilight said, seeing the trouble he was having. "You stay here! I'm going to go find every book I can on this, and come right back!"

"Well… Okay," Spike said, still focusing on his steps. "I'll work on this."

"I'll be right back!" Twilight said.

With that, Twilight vanished in a bright light, leaving Rarity and Spike alone in the shop.

Spike looked over to Rarity, and noticed that she was just… Staring at him.

"Hey Rarity…" Spike said smiling. "Um… About earlier…"

Rarity took a few steps backward, happy to have him in a talking state.

"Would you like to see what you look like?" Rarity asked, rolling a mirror over to him with her magic.

Watching as the mirror rolled in front of him, Spike inspected himself in the reflection. "I have all the same colors… But I'd have to say that I'm at least twice as handsome!"

Rarity giggled. She was happy to see him in a good mood.

"Spike, do you have any idea what actually happened?" Rarity asked, realizing that they had better figure it out.

"I- I think I have an idea." Spike admitted.

"How?" Rarity asked.

"Well, that flower I gave you was a bit… Magical…" Spike explained.

"How so?" Rarity asked, intrigued.

"It's called 'Heart's Desire," Spike continued, "And, as I'm sure you can guess, it grants wishes."

"How did you get such a thing?" Rarity asked.

"Well, back when we first met Zecora, I was looking around her hut, and I came across it…" Spike remembered. "I had heard of it before, so I figured it couldn't hurt to take it…"

"Spike." Rarity said with a serious expression. "You don't take things that don't belong to you."

"I know…" Spike said, feeling a bit put out. "I just… wanted one so badly…"

"For what?" Rarity asked, "What wish did you want to come true?"

"Well… This!" Spike said. "I wanted to become a pony!"

"Why…?" Rarity said, completely baffled.

"There are so many reasons," Spike explained, "But, mostly so I would stop being treated like a baby… And so I could spend more time with everypony."

"If you wanted your wish to come true so badly, why would you give the flower to me?" Rarity questioned.

"Well, I found out that a wish had to be extremely powerful for it to come true…" Spike continued, "I just didn't think that I wanted it enough…"

"So… You're telling me, that you were transformed because of a wish for you to become a pony?" Rarity asked, suddenly realizing what had happened.

"But… The thing is, that I don't remember it being that way!" Spike said honestly, "I still wanted it, but no more than I had before… something else MUST have happened to trigger it… Do you have any idea what that could have been?"

Rarity remained silent, clearly knowing something that Spike didn't.

Twilight teleported back to just outside Rarity's house. Shoe couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it right away. She knew a spell that was capable of transforming things back to their previous form. She actually used it quite often, to fix toast that she had a tendency to burn.

Walking up to the slightly ajar door, she was about to enter, but stopped when she heard the conversation going on inside.

"What is it?" Spike asked.

"Well…" Rarity said, losing her usual lady-like inflections, "I don't think you were the only one wishing for it…"

Twilight was lost. Wishing?

Spike cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I wished for It, okay?" Rarity confessed loudly. "I wished for you to be transformed into a pony…"

Twilight was shocked.

Spike was confused at first, but after a few moments, he quickly started to understand. "It must have been our combined wish that activated the Heart's Desire…"

Rarity nodded, avoiding eye contact with Spike.

It made sense that she would have wished that. If she truly did have feelings for him, it would have been difficult for her back when he was a dragon. "It's easier to have feelings for me this way, right?"

"Of course not!" Rarity said, scolded. "I kissed you, didn't I?"

Rarity **kissed** Spike?

"It's okay, Rarity." Spike said smiling, taking a few slow steps toward her, "You made this dream come true for me."

"Are you certain that this is what you want?" Rarity asked, sadly. "Because I don't want to have been the one who pushed this on-"

Rarity was cut off as Spike kissed her.

Immediately, Rarity felt all of her worries melt away.

Twilight couldn't believe what she was seeing. She always knew of Spike's crush on Rarity, but never in a million **years** did she think that Rarity would return those feelings. But, here she was, kissing Spike happily.

Nothing was right here. Spike was a baby. But at the same time, he wasn't anymore. Somehow, she had transformed him into a pony with a wish. A completely mature pony. But, not only that, they had **also** lied to her, and feigned ignorance over his transformation. This only succeeded in making Twilight angry.

After a moment, Spike pulled away, leaving a very happy Rarity.

"I'm happy his way." Spike said, smiling brightly at Rarity.

"I-I'm glad!" Rarity said, still a little flustered. "But… What are you going to do about Twilight?"

"I don't know…" Spike said with a very worried tone in his voice. "By now, I'm sure she's figured out that the burned toast spell will fix this whole problem."

Rarity was confused by that line, but then decided not to ask.

"So… I'll just have to ask her if I can stay this way…" Spike said, "I can't see any advantages to being a dragon."

Deciding to make her entrance, Twilight opened the door, and looked at Spike.

"So, you do know how this happened?" Twilight asked, angrily.

Spike felt his heart jump in surprise, before turning to face Twilight, and admit the truth. "Yes... "

"And why do you think that you should be able to stay this way?" Twilight asked.

"Twilight, Darling-" Rarity tried to begin.

Twilight shot Rarity a look that instantly silenced her. "You're half the reason Spike got into this mess!"

"Hey!" Spike shouted, surprised at his sudden courage, as he put himself between Rarity and Twilight, being careful not to trip on his own legs. "Don't blame anything on her!"

Twilight looked at Spike, still clearly displeased.

"Do you know how long I've hated the idea of being a dragon?" Spike asked, seeing Twilight's face soften slightly. "A really long time!"

"B-but… What's so wrong with being a dragon?" Twilight asked, knowing full well what he was going to say.

"Well, maybe it's because of the way you treat me!" Spike said.

Twilight remained silent.

"You know just as well as I do, that I'm going to be a baby for a **long** time." Spike said. "Far too long, if you ask me. I want to be treated like an adult!"

"But… When you grow up, you'll be old for a really long time!" Twilight countered, "Way longer than any of us! It's just how you naturally mature!"

"Do you really think that's a perk?" Spike asked, baffled. "In what world, do I want to be an adult, just in time for all of my friends to die of old age?"

Twilight was shocked that he would bring up something so grim.

"I want to live alongside everypony… Not live to be 500 years old." Spike said softly.

Twilight hated to admit it, but that made sense. She always knew he would outlive her… And from his standpoint, she saw how it seemed more like a curse than a blessing.

"And on top of that, I'm basically a pony already!" Spike explained, "I live with them, I act like them… The only difference is that I'm a dragon! And when I grow up, I know that ponies are going to be a lot more afraid of a mature dragon, than they are of a baby one."

Twilight could feel herself starting to tear up. It was all true. Spike was right.

"This… This is my dream Twilight…" Spike said, finishing up. "Please… Let me have this…"

"B-But…" Twilight said, staring to feel the tears run down her cheek, as she sat down on the ground. "I don't want you to change…"

Spike instantly felt bad. He had been so involved in what he wanted, that he hadn't considered Twilight's feelings.

"You're like a little brother to me…" Twilight admitted, now fully crying, "I-I don't want to see like this!"

"Twilight…" Spike said slowly.

"It's like I'm losing your childhood to this! It's not fair!" Twilight cried.

Spike carefully walked over to Twilight, then sat down, and wrapped his arms around her.

"You're not losing anything…" Spike reassured. "Maybe I'm bigger, but I'm still the same dragon I was before!"

Twilight didn't answer.

"Nothing's going to change…" Spike said, "I just look different… That's all!"

"How do you know?" Twilight asked, looking up at him.

As if on cue, Spike suddenly lurched backward, holding his stomach. This was followed by a loud burp, and a burst of green flame, which produced a scroll.

"Hey!" Spike said excitedly, "I can still do that!"

Twilight couldn't help but let out a small giggle. He sure acted the same way… Maybe he really was the same dragon.

"Look, Twilight…" Spike said, gesturing to the scroll, "Not that much is going to change… Okay?"

"Well… Okay." Twilight said finally, even though she was still conflicted. "But, this is all so crazy…"

"I know." Spike agreed.

"I'm sorry Rarity…" Twilight said turning to her, "I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

"You had good reason to be upset, Twilight." Rarity said. "I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark as we did."

"Yeah," Spike agreed, "We were just a bit confused about the whole ordeal…"

"Now… Um, about me and Spike," Rarity said, bring back the awkward topic.

"Well, I'm happy for you two…" Twilight said, "But… I never expected it, to be honest…"

"Neither did I…" Rarity agreed. "But, he's proven himself to be quite the gentlecolt over the past few weeks…"

"I didn't think you were capable of that Spike!" Twilight laughed.

"Well… I guess I am!" Spike said, happy to be hearing praise from Rarity.

"But, please Twilight… If you'd keep our affection for one another a secret for the moment, it would be greatly appreciated." Rarity asked.

"Of course!" Twilight agreed, before realizing that she had forgotten the scroll he had produced. "Oh, by the way, Spike, what was on that scroll?"

Looking at the floor, Spike realized that he didn't know how to open it, as he no longer had hands. So, he leaned forward, and used his hoofs to fiddle with the paper.

However, after a few minutes, and some laughter from the girls, he gave up, as he was unable to get it to open.

"Here, Spike." Twilight said. "Let me help you with that."

Twilight cast a quick spell, giving Spike a pair of glowing purple hands that levitated just above his hoofs.

"Awesome!" Spike said, moving the fingers around, happy to have them back. "I'm surprised Alex hasn't used these!"

Lifting up the scroll, Spike stood up on his hind legs, and read the scroll aloud.

"Oh my goodness…" Spike said, intriguing the girls in front of him. "It says: _Dear my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle. You should go buy Spike some ice-cream! Sincerely, Princess Celestia!"_

Twilight cocked an eyebrow, before bursting into a fit of laughter. Spike, on the other hoof, lost his balance, from standing up on two legs for too long.

Twilight knew that she wasn't 100% with this, but she decided to play along for now. She was sure that she would get used to it. So, there was no harm in acting this way right now. Now… all she had to do was explain to everypony what had happened. It was going to be a long day.

Still, Twilight couldn't help but smile. At the very least, she was confident that it was still Spike in there. No matter what he looked like.

/

**Don't forget to review, so i can know what you think so far!**


	27. Meanwhile

/

Meanwhile…

/

"I'll be back soon!" Twilight said to Alex and Dash, as she teleported away, leaving them in the Everfree forest, alone.

"What did Rarity say, exactly?" Alex asked Dash.

"She just told me to come get Twilight… That it was an emergency." Dash said.

"Huh." Alex said simply.

"So… What were you doing out here?" Dash asked, looking around the large field.

"Practicing some rather… Strange spells." Alex laughed.

"Ooh!" Dash said with a smile, "Can I see?"

Alex thought for a moment, and then decided it couldn't hurt to showcase his powers a bit.

"Alright, Well… You know how everypony is busy preparing for this whole Discord business?" Alex asked.

"Yeah…" Dash said.

"Well, Twilight's been teaching me some spells that help counter his chaotic magic." Alex continued, "So, she brought a bunch of things that were left over after his previous rule over Equestria."

"Like that?" Dash asked, pointing at the floating yellow orb a few feet away. "What is that, by the way?"

"It's some kind of bouncy ball that Discord created." Alex explained, "Once it starts bounding, it never stops! And there used to be thousands of them!"

Dash cautiously approached the ball, and reached out a hoof to touch it.

"Wait!" Alex said, stopping her dead. "Don't touch it! I don't want to risk it going crazy."

Dash slowly backed away, until she was just behind Alex. "Um… Can you just get rid of it? It's kind making me nervous now."

Alex laughed, "Sure! Just, stay behind me."

Dash nodded, and stood in place.

Pointing his horn toward the floating ball, Alex concentrated, and then shot out the same white energy that he used on the cotton candy cloud.

The white magic enveloped the orb, and eventually seeped in. When it was all inside, the ball simply fell to the ground with a quiet 'thud.'

"Wow!" Dash said with a smile, "Discord doesn't stand a chance!"

Alex panted. That spell took more out of him than she realized.

"Oh, are you okay?" Dash asked.

"Yeah," Alex said, sitting down. "It just weakens me a bit… But, that's why we're practicing!"

Dash sat down next to him and smiled. "What else have you been working on out here?"

"Well, I've been working on my teleportation spells." Alex said.

"Really?" Dash asked, "Feel like showing me that too?"

"Sure," Alex said, taking a few deep breaths, getting ready to use another spell. "Point to where you want to go!"

"Oh!" Dash said, surprised by his arm around her shoulders. "You can actually do that?"

"It's easier than you think…" Alex explained. "The challenge is going somewhere you can't see, because you have to imagine it. But, if you can see where you want to go, it's easy."

"Oh…" Dash said, "Well then… How about there?"

Alex followed to where her hoof was pointed. And saw that she was looking toward the tip of a mountain, fairly far away.

"You sure?" Alex asked. "It might be cold."

"Naw," Dash said casually, "They've scraped all the snow from the mountains in preparation for winter."

"Of course they have," Alex laughed, still amazed at some of this things that happened in this world. "Alright… Are you ready?"

Dash closed her eyes and nodded. She then felt an instant warmth envelope her body. But, as quickly as it came, it had vanished. Leaving her exposed to the cool air once again.

"Is this good?" Alex asked, watching Dash open her eyes.

"It's… Beautiful!" Dash said, honestly surprised at the view they had gotten.

"I figured that you'd have this kind of view all the time while you were flying," Alex said. "Unless of course, you were talking about my face… Because I have to agree, it really is quite beautiful."

Dash rolled her eyes as sat down.

Sitting down next to her, Alex was surprised at the view of Ponyville they had I was quite nice. After a moment, Dash laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"When you're flying, everything looks great…" Dash said. "But, being able to sit down, and relax with… somepony you care about… Makes it so much better…"

Alex smiled. There wasn't a place he'd rather be right now.

"You know…" Dash began, "This reminds me a lot of the night that we made up."

Noticing the now setting sun, Alex couldn't help but agree. A few hundred feet closer to the ground, and it would have pretty much been an exact replica of that night.

"You know," Alex said, "That night… Was the night I really started to see you differently."

"Differently?" Dash asked, hoping that he was taking the subject in a more romantic direction.

"Yeah," Alex continued. "That was the night that I really saw you as a friend…"

Dash sighed. Never mind.

"I mean, you hated me!" Alex laughed, "You wanted me gone!"

"Well… I didn't exactly hate you." Dash said, "I just, strongly disliked you!"

"Yeah?" Alex asked laughing, "And how do you feel now?"

Dash took a moment, and thought about how she could answer it. She could play it slow, or she could throw herself at him.

"I'm glad we're friends." Dash sighed, a bit upset that she hadn't taken the risk.

"What?" Alex asked, noticing her sigh.

"Well… I'm not exactly the most romantic pony in the world," Dash said, "But **come on!**"

Alex cocked an eyebrow.

"How blind are you?" Dash said, lifting her head from his shoulder to look at him. "We're on the top of a mountain, watching the sunset together… I was even leaning on your shoulder!"

Alex had been well aware of the situation that they were in; however, he hadn't wanted to make her uncomfortable by bringing it up. Obviously, that had been a dumb idea.

"Don't you know what's supposed to happen next?" Dash asked him.

"Well… Yeah…" Alex said slowly.

"Good!" Dash said, closing her eyes and leaning forward. Getting ready for 'what happens next.'

"Any time would be great!" She said, puckering her lips.

"Do you want to go out for dinner with me?" Alex asked.

Dash opened one eye. "Uh… What?"

"It doesn't really count if you tell me when to kiss you," Alex said, smiling, "I'll be the one who chooses that."

"So… This doesn't work for you?" Dash asked.

"Not at all," Alex said flatly, "Sorry."

Dash was actually happy to hear that. She always saw herself as a pony who took charge, but she needed him to be the boss **sometimes**.

"Alright," Dash said happily, "When are we going to have dinner together then?"

Alex thought for a moment.

"Since we're setting up winter for the next few days, how about we go out when both of us are finished?" Alex asked. "It'll give you something to work harder for!"

Dash grinned. She did love a good race.

"Where are you going to take me?" Dash asked, thinking back to their date.

"I'll surprise you." Alex said, "I'll have a whole night planned out."

"It had better be good!" Dash warned, "I'll expect nothing but the best!"

"It's settled then." Alex said. "It'll be a night you'll never forget."

Dash smiled and laid her head back on his shoulder. Things were finally moving forward.

/

Alex walked back to the library. He had just finished dropping Dash off at her house.

They had enjoyed the last of the sunset, talked a bit about winter, then decided to call it a night.

Unfortunately, just after Alex dropped her off, he started to feel himself be filled with that energy. The energy that he had used to save Dash a few days ago.

At first, he had thought it was nothing. So, he had ignored it. But, he it was getting harder and harder to do so.

So, now he was faced with a dilemma. Should he expel the energy in a spell, or should he keep trying to ignore it?

Alex weighed the options. He knew that there would be negative side effects to Ponyville if he cast a powerful spell. The ground would get that checkerboard pattern, or perhaps something similar.

On the other hoof, he could ignore it, and hope that it would eventually leave him alone.

Alex already knew what would happen if he DID cast the spell, so he decided to play the odds, and see what happened when he ignored the power.

Hopefully, it would dissipate somehow, and he would start to feel like normal again soon.

Hopefully.

/

The Doctor stood in the TARDIS, and watched Alex walk by on a screen, as he headed toward the library.

The time had come.

After months of research and brainstorming, he had finally come up with a solution, to rid Equestria of Alex.

The Doctor couldn't help but sigh at that thought.

He had never considered himself to be the scheming, or killing kind… He fixed problems, and helped ponies out… But, now he had come up with a plan to remove somepony from existence. Something he was not proud of.

It had been quite a brilliant plan, actually. Back in the normal universe, he had dealt with a crack in space and time. Anything that it touched was instantly erased from existence, and the universe would go on as if they had never existed. And since he was back in time, the crack still existed. So he could still use it.

He still hated the idea. What would Derpy say if she heard this plan? There's no way she'd have ever let him go through with it…

The Doctor was even aware that Alex wasn't as bad a guy as he had originally thought. He had even saved Ponyville before.

Still. He was doing this for a better future. He saw how this ended. Discord would have everypony turned to statues, and he would once again rule Equestria…

The Doctor was surprised when he saw Alex suddenly collapse.

Unfortunately, it was too dark to see much. Fiddling with the controls, he was able to brighten the image enough to see Alex unmoving on the ground. However, after a few seconds, The Doctor watched Alex levitate off the ground, and right himself. But, something was different about him. He was walking… differently.

The Doctor had been observing Alex for long enough to know his mannerisms. And this was unique… He was carrying himself in more confidently. He wasn't sure what to make of it.

After a moment, he started to realize that Alex had a dark aura surrounding him, which was giving off a dim light. After a few moments, it disappeared, but Alex continued walking the way he had.

Eventually, Alex turned a corner and disappeared off the camera. After a moment, The Doctor decided to forget about what he had just seen. Soon, Alex would be dealt with, and everything would be back to normal.

/

The front door to the Library opened, and Alex stepped in.

All of the lights were out; everypony must have been in bed already.

Smiling, Alex looked back and forth around the main room. Twilight had spent so much time organizing these books before they had left today to practice.

Casting a levitation spell, Alex individually lifted every book off of the shelves, and placed them on the floor in complete disarray.

Holding back his laughter, he walked into his room and closed the door.

He couldn't wait until morning.

/

**Please review! I like to hear from everyone as much as possible!**

**Thanks!**

/


	28. The Short Road

/

The Short Road

/

Alex pressed his face into his pillow. For some reason, his head was killing him…

What had caused this ungodly headache?

Was it something he had done last night?

Thinking for a moment, Alex realized something odd. He couldn't remember what had happened last night… The last thing he could remember was dropping Dash off at home, and then starting to feel that energy within him… It must have been related to that.

He hadn't used it in a spell last night… So it was obviously a bad thing when he did that.

"Alex!" Twilight bellowed from just outside his room. "You need to come out here!"

"It's time to face the music!" A voice said.

Alex sat up. Who was that?

"Who's there?" Alex asked the empty room.

After a moment of silence, Alex started to hear laughter.

He was rather used to this, as Discord loved to talk to him whenever he felt like it. But, this laugh was different. It sounded like it was coming from somepony younger. Somepony that kinda sounded like…

"Alex, hurry!" Twilight shouted.

"Uh, yeah!" Alex said, getting out of bed, and approaching the door.

Opening his door, Alex walked out into the main section of the library, and was shocked to see the library in complete disarray.

"What happened?!" Alex asked in shock. "You just finished organizing this!"

"Huh?" Twilight said from the level above, scanning the floor below her. "Oh yeah, I saw that earlier."

"Wait, you're not upset?" Alex asked, surprised.

"Well, I think you should see this first." Twilight said, gesturing to the door behind her.

Walking to the top of the stairs, Alex was confused when her bedroom door opened, and a purple and green pony stepped out.

"Woah, look at Twilight!" The voice said to Alex, "Bringing home guys! Nice!"

Alex ignored the voice. He was sure that it was some trick of Discords.

"Who is that…?" Alex asked.

"It's Spike." Twilight said.

"Pardon?" Alex asked, somewhat lost.

"It's me." Spike said. "I was transformed into a pony."

Alex was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. "Is… This a normal thing around here…?"

"Not this." Twilight said.

"Oh snap!" The voice said again. "The purple bastard is a pony!"

"Shut up!" Alex shouted again, earning odd looks from both Twilight and Spike.

"Me?" Twilight asked.

"N-Not you… Just- Nevermind." Alex said, stumbling over an explanation before giving up. "What even happened?"

"Uh… Well, somepony actually did this to me…" Spike said.

"Spike," Twilight whispered to him. "Are you sure…?"

"Yeah, I don't mind telling him." Spike said to her before turning back to Alex. "It was actually Rarity that made it happen."

"Rarity?" Alex asked, "How… Or, why did she do it?"

Spike puffed out his chest and smiled. "With a wish, because she likes me!"

"…Really?" Alex and the voce in his head said simultaneously.

/

After several minutes, Twilight and Spike got Alex up to speed on the situation Spike was now in. The voice in his head had even shut up long enough for it all to make sense to him.

"How many times did you kiss her?" Alex asked, feeling proud of his little buddy.

"Two times!" Spike smiled.

"Nice!" Alex said, giving Spike a high-five… Or high-one. "So, do you have a cutie mark?"

"Nope," Spike said, showing Alex his blank flank. "We're in the same boat."

"We'll work on that together then!" Alex said, smiling.

"Sure!" Spike said, happy that Alex was being so cool about this.

"Does everypony in town know about Spike?" Alex asked Twilight.

"Well, after I found out he was like this, I didn't really have much time to explain it to everypony," Twilight said, "So, for now, I think that we're going to just say that he's a friend that's visiting."

"Makes sense," Alex said, "With winter set-up starting today, you probably don't want to waste all of your time explaining his transformation to everypony you come across."

"Exactly," Twilight agreed. "Once winter is ready, we'll tell everypony."

/

A Few Days Later

/

Alex could feel his heart trying to beat its way out of his chest.

Tonight was the night. He and Dash were finally going to have their first night out together.

The sun had just started to set, and he knew that Dash would be waiting for him at the library. So, he hurried along, not wanting to keep her waiting.

Alex had been working his tail off trying to get his mundane job of spreading snow completed. And, he had finally done it all. He had finished his assigned area, and was free to go, and have the night of his life.

Alex had the entire night planned out. The plan was for a romantic dinner, then a walk to Sugercube Corner for dessert. After they picked something up, he'd take her back to the hill where they first made up. The sun would be long set at that point, but the moon was full tonight, and he knew that the view would be breathtaking.

Even the smart-ass voice in the back of his head hadn't said a word since they started setting up winter.

Unfortunately, there was just one problem. Alex could feel that energy coming back to him. Just after he finished his job in the set-up, he started to feel it build up again.

There was no way Alex could think of, to properly dispose of the magic. He was afraid that whatever he did would be super-powerful, and would damage Ponyville, just as it had before, with the checkerboard ground.

After much consideration, Alex decided to go ask Twilight for help. He really should have brought this up earlier… But, either way, they would find a solution, and he and Dash would be on their way.

Alex was just outside of the library, when he started to feel some kind of warmth enveloping him.

Looking at his body, Alex could see a bright light working its way up toward him. It almost felt like a teleportation spell.

Alex didn't really have time to panic, as the light quickly enveloped him.

When the light faded, Alex found that he was in a completely new place.

He was in some kind of spherical room, filled with pillars, a series of control panels in the center, along with what looked like some kind of engine.

Examining the contraption in front of him, Alex was baffled. There was a large series of tubes that were moving up and down within each other, while making some kind of groaning noise. It almost sounded like a car's engine revving, but backwards.

"Hello, Alex." Somepony said from behind the engine.

Alex quickly focused on the figure that emerged from behind the control panels.

"My name is The Doctor." He said, taking a few steps toward Alex. "And I'm very sorry."

"It's no problem…" Alex said slowly, "You can just let me out here… I kinda have plans for tonight."

"I'm afraid I can't do that…" The Doctor said, pressing a few controls on the panel next to him.

Hearing a door creak open, Alex turned around, and was absolutely astounded.

He was in Space! The area outside of the ship was completely filled with stars. He had never seen anything so gorgeous. One thing looked rather peculiar however. There seemed to be some kind of bright line running through the empty space just in front of them. It almost looked like a crack.

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" The Doctor asked, taking a few steps forward. "Don't worry about breathing, there's a force field keeping all the air in."

"Why did you bring me here?" Alex asked.

The Doctor sighed. Alex deserved to know what had happened, and how he planned to fix it.

"You weren't supposed to come to Equestria, Alex." The Doctor said, walking past Alex, and looking out the door into the open space. "Something brought you here, and it made everything go wrong."

"What does that mean?" Alex asked, starting to get angry. "How could you possibly know something like that?"

"I came from the future, in this ship." The Doctor explained, "Just about a year and a half from now…"

"The future?" Alex asked disbelievingly, "That sounds like a load of crap."

"Yeah?" The Doctor asked, "I'd say that it's just about as much crap as a _human in Equestria_."

Alex had to give him that one. If he could visit magical-pony-land, then time travel could definitely be possible.

"So…" Alex said, deciding to listen to what he had to say. "What happened to your future, then?"

"Where I came from, everything was perfect..." The Doctor explained, "The world existed as if you had never been there."

Alex held his breath. He didn't like the sound of that.

"Discord had come back about a year before, but was stopped by the Elements of Harmony." The Doctor explained. "But, something changed history, and made Discord the ruler of Equestria… I'm only here because I was in this time machine when it happened. If I had been outside, I would have been affected too."

"What then?" Alex asked, "Do you want my help to defeat Discord?"

He Doctor wanted nothing more than to say yes, but it wasn't an option. He could fix everything right here and now.

Walking past Alex, The Doctor returned to the control panel, and then turned back to Alex.

"This will go much easier for you if you relax…" The Doctor said.

"What do you mean?!" Alex asked, starting to panic.

"That crack outside will… Erase you from history." The Doctor explained, "Everything will return to normal, and Equestria will be safe."

"That's not fair!" Alex said angrily, "How do you know that I'm the only thing that changed history? Couldn't something else have happened, besides me coming here?"

The Doctor ignored him, and turned around to his control panel. He would need a minute to disable to the safety. It wasn't every day you wanted something sucked out from the inside.

"S-Stop!" Alex shouted, running forward in an attempt to stop The Doctor. Unfortunately a barrier had been place between the two of them.

Suddenly, Alex realized something. He was still overflowing with that strange power. He could try to use it to get past the shield. Closing his eyes, Alex tried to shoot a bolt of energy into the barrier. But, he found himself unable to cast it.

"You can't cast any kind of your magic in here," The Doctor explained, "So don't try."

"Look…" Alex said starting to feel light headed, "There must be another way!"

The Doctor kept his back to Alex, knowing that he would probably crumble if he saw the pleading pony.

Alex couldn't believe how fast everything was happening. One moment, everything was perfect. The next, he was in mortal danger.

Again, Alex focused on casting a spell, but he just couldn't do it. Closing his eyes, he fought to open them again. He was so tired all of the sudden.

"I… I…" Alex said, as he lost consciousness. "I… Don't…"

The Doctor was confused when Alex didn't continue speaking. It wasn't as if he had cut off the air, or removed the barrier between him and open space. Still, this was a blessing. It would be easier to do this if he was silent.

Lifting his hoof to press the final button, The Doctor was stopped when he heard Alex suddenly speak.

"I… Don't want to hurt you."

Alex looked up from the floor, with a wicked grin on his face.

"I'm only thinking of your safety, Doctor." Alex said darkly.

Turning around, The Doctor was shocked to see Alex enveloped in a black aura of magic. But… It wasn't Alex. It was something controlling his body.

"I can't have you hurting my lesser half," Alex said, lifting The Doctor off the ground by his neck, in a very Darth Vader kind of way. "I need that goody-two shoes alive."

"Who are you?" The Doctor choked, "Where did you come from?"

"You can call me… Dax." Dax said, liking the sound of his new name. "And I came from Alex."

"D-Did Discord do this?" The Doctor said, wheezing for breath.

"Well, he helped by supplying the chaotic magic," Dax said, "But I don't think he knows I exist."

That's why he could cast spells in here. The Doctor wasn't able to prevent Discords form of magic from being used in here.

"So, I'm going to have to ask you nicely, that you take me, and my bumbling split-personality, home now." Dax said, releasing The Doctor from his magic, dropping him on the ground.

"And what if I don't?" The Doctor asked.

"Then I'll be forced to start using my magic on this machines engine, to try and get us home." Dax smiled. "Your choice."

The Doctor knew that any kind of tampering with the TARDIS could potentially have catastrophic results. So it appeared that he had no choice.

Standing up, The Doctor started the necessary procedure to send them back to Equestria… Turning some nobs, pressing a few buttons, and then pulling a lever, The Doctor finally had them on their way back home.

"Good pony," Dax said, lifting the Doctor off the ground and throwing him against a wall. "Sleep tight."

The Doctor landed on the floor, quickly losing consciousness… Even though his plan had completely failed, he couldn't help but be happy that he hadn't killed Alex. He was a good pony, that deserved the same chance as everypony else. But… This Dax character… That might be a problem. He would have to deal with it when he woke up.

After a few seconds, Dax heard the engines of the ship start to slow down, and eventually stop.

Walking forward and opening the door, Dax put a hoof over his eyes to block out the sunlight. The time machine must have taken him a bit further ahead than he would have liked.

Taking a step out, he immediately started to feel weak. It looked like he was losing control.

"You'd better thank me…" Dax said to himself as he collapsed into the snow outside of the TARDIS. He was only able to take control when Alex was full of chaotic energy, but he had used it all up. So, for now, Alex would be taking the wheel again.

Dax was happy that the two of them were safe. He couldn't have Alex dying. He needed him here.

For now at least.

/

Alex slowly opened his eyes. Why was he so cold? Is this was erasure from the universe felt like?

Sitting up, Alex quickly understood that the coldness had come from. His face had been buried in a pile of snow.

Looking around, Alex saw that the sun had come out. This meant that, he must have been dropped off by The Doctor, and left there for the night.

"I hope Dash isn't too disappointed that I missed our date…" Alex said out loud.

Alex righted himself, then started heading for the Library. He needed to talk to Twilight about what happened.

As he approached the front door, he heard the unmistakable sound of singing, coming from behind him.

Deciding to take a look, Alex walked away from the library, and headed toward the center of town. He wondered what they could possibly be singing about… The beginning of winter maybe?

As he closed the distance to the singing ponies, Alex found it easier to make out the words that were being sung.

"Winter…" Alex said, perking his ears up as much as possible. "Winter… Wrap up?"

"Wrap up?" Alex said to himself, "I thought we just finished setting winter up last night!"

Walking between two buildings, Alex came to an ally where he had a view of all the ponies singing. And in the middle of the group, stood Twilight Sparkle.

_"'Cause tomorrow Spring is here, 'Cause tomorrow Spring is here!"_

Twilight finished off the song by holding the last '_here' _for a few moments.

Alex was surprised that Twilight was such a good singer. He had never really heard her before.

Naturally, as soon as she finished singing, and everypony got in their final pose, Alex walked out from the ally cheering, resisting the urge to clap and fall flat on his face.

"What that a rehearsal for when winter ends, or something?" Alex asked.

Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike, And Pinkie Pie all stared at Alex in complete disbelief.

"What?" Alex asked, "Is there something on my face? Because I was asleep in the snow!"

"You're back!" Twilight shouted, running over to Alex, quickly followed by all of her friends.

"I… Guess?" Alex said, before being bombarded by the group of girls, hugging him, telling them how much he was missed. And asking him where had had been.

"Okay… Everypony needs to slow down!" Alex said, completely baffled, "Just what do you think happened to me?"

"We thought you were dead!" Spike said, rather dramatically.

"Wha-?" Alex said, "Dead?"

"Of course, Darling!" Rarity said, "You have been gone for over three months! What were we supposed to think?"

"What!?" Alex shouted, "B-but… I've only been gone for one night!"

"What?" Twilight asked. "It's obviously been more than one night!"

"Well… I was in this ship with that Doctor guy…" Alex said, suddenly realizing what kind of ship he had been in.

A time machine

"I was in a time machine…" Alex said quietly, "I… I can't believe it."

"Are you serious?" Twilight asked, "Because if you are, then we have to—"

"Where's Colors?" Alex asked suddenly. "Is she not with you guys? I… I need to talk to her!"

The girls looked nervously at each other, before Twilight spoke up.

"Um, About that…"

/


	29. Just a Progress Update!

Alrighty, sorry about the sudden stop in updates, but i have actually been working quite hard on the next chapter.

I don't want to spoil anything, so i'll just say, the next chapter has kinda gotten out of hand in terms of size, and has become something long enough to warrant being it's own story.

So! My next post is going to be posted as a separate story. Still, it won't be up for a little bit, as that kind of length for a single chapter drives me to constantly reread, and revise. Which, (i hope) will lead to it being better in the long run.

Anyways, make sure to follow me, so you can see when it's posted. And, if you don't feel like following, i'll just post a reminder on this story itself.

And, after i finish this current chapter, i will be returning to this story, and continue posting the remade episode chapters.

Also, if enough people ask, i think i could be convinced to release the intro of my new chapter, before i finish it. (That is, if anyone is even waiting for it.)

So, let me know what you think in a review, or PM!


	30. Chasing the Rainbow

/  
Chasing the Rainbow  
/

**/ - Line break.**

**/-/ - Flash back**

Finally, I have finished. (Sorry to those who have had to wait so long)

I also decided to post this in the same story, since i don't want people looking for it.

I hope that you'll enjoy everything that I've written, but one small thing before it start.

There may be a couple of things wrong with the story (grammar, continuity, whatever) As i made several changes to the finished story, but lost a bunch of them to some weird auto saves in Word. I would have nitpicked through the story again, but that would have taken me a couple weeks, as i am currently in school, and working. So, feel free to toss me a PM with anything wrong, I'll fix it up as soon as i get the chance.

**So, now, please enjoy! **

/

"Where's Colors?" Alex asked suddenly. "Is she not with you guys? I… I need to talk to her!"

The girls looked nervously at each other, before Twilight spoke up.

"Um, About that…"

/

"You can't blame her!" Twilight insisted. "We all thought you were gone!"

"How could she just, up and do that?" Alex asked, "I've only been gone for three months!"

"It crushed the poor girl!" Rarity said.

"So what, then? She sat around sad for a few weeks, and then moved on?" Alex asked angrily.

"She held out a lot longer than that!" Fluttershy spoke up, silencing the group. "Rainbow cried her eyes out for almost two months!"

Alex immediately felt terrible.

"And when she finally got pulled herself together, she put all of her focus into the one thing she knew best." Fluttershy continued, "Racing."

"She became so obsessed…" Rarity added, "She would train from dusk till dawn."

"Even on days with blistering snow storms," Twilight continued, "We thought she was going to hurt herself!"

"Nopony could get through to her." Pinkie said, in a rather serious tone, "And then… She heard about the Wonderbolt tryouts."

"She's always been talkin' 'bout goin' to the tryouts… But she never actually went through with it." Applejack said, "She loved it here."

"So… where is she now then?" Alex asked.

"She was accepted into the training program in Manehattan…" Twilight said, "That's where they separate the good fliers… from the best fliers."

"And we all know that Rainbow Dash IS the best." Pinkie said, "She'll be a Wonderbolt for sure!"

"Colors had told me about the life of a Wonderbolt…" Alex said, "She always said that there was one downside to being that famous, and that was the lack of free time they had."

"I've heard her say that, also" Rarity said, "It seems like they always have a race to race, or a party to attend, or a dragon to defeat…"

"And a Wonderbolt is bound to pretty tight contract as well…" Twilight said, "She won't be able to back out after it's signed."

"So… If Dash is accepted, we'll barely see her again." Alex concluded.

Twilight nodded.

"When does this training finish?" Alex asked.

"Three days from now." Twilight said, "We were all invited to see who gets accepted."

"And from the letters she's written, it sounds like she's a shoe in." Rarity said.

"Well, I guess I should go see her then," Alex said. "Tell her myself."

"It doesn't have to be so difficult!" Rarity said, "I'm sure Twilight could send some kind of message to her, right?"

"Actually…" Twilight started slowly, "The training compound is extremely private… Only particular kinds of magic are able to be used in the grounds. So I can't send her anything."

"Well, why not just mail her?" Applejack asked.

"It would take days to get there." Twilight explained, "She'd be long since inducted."

"Well that's stupid." Alex said.

"The Wonderbolts believe that seclusion helps their trainees focus." Spike elaborated, "Not even Princess Celestia has the power to get us in there."

"What do you mean, she can't?" Alex asked in disbelief, "She's the Princess!"

"The Wonderbolts like to have complete privacy," Twilight said, "And Princess Celestia respects that."

"But, Colors needs to know that I'm alive!" Alex said, "I'm sure the Princess would understand!"

"If there was no way to contact Dash, I'm sure that she would help…" Twilight said, "But… There'll be one chance for you to talk to her before she joins."

"Why didn't you say that before?!" Alex almost shouted, relieved to hear about this. "When can I talk to her?"

"There's a party just before the ceremony." Twilight said, "It's open to family and friends of the trainees. You can talk to her then."

"I guess it's decided then…" Alex said, "I'm going to Manehattan."

"Correction," Applejack said, "WE'RE goin' to Manehattan."

"I couldn't ask you guys to do that," Alex said, "I mean, you have to wrap up winter!"

"This is much more important," Rarity said, "We'll simply inform the Mayor that something has come up."

"No," Alex said, "You guys come out in time for the party… This is something I'd like to do alone."

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked, "We work better as a team!"

"I have to see her myself," Alex said, "Tell her myself."

"Tell her what?" Pinkie asked.

"Tell her how sorry I am for missing our date… Tell her that I need her here with me." Alex confessed.

The all gave a collective 'aww.'

"We'll stay back, but at least take Spike with you," Rarity asked. "He's been going on for weeks about how excited he was to see Manehattan."

"Okay," Alex said, happy at the thought.

"You don't mind, Rarity?" Spike asked, "Aren't you worried I'll be swarmed by a pack of girls?"

"Aren't you so cute!" Rarity said, patting him on the head. "They'll keep away if they know what's good for them."

"When can I catch a train there?" Alex asked the girls.

"Well… it runs once every two days," Twilight said, "It comes tonight, but it'll be an overnight trip."

"That's fine." Alex said, "Being there tomorrow will be fine."

The girls watched as Alex walked past them, back toward the library.

"Well… I'm going to pack my things…" Alex said, "Assuming I still have things…"

"Your room is exactly how you left it," Twilight said. "Go grab whatever you need."

"Thanks." Alex said, heading off toward the library, with Spike following behind him.

/-/

_Dash stirred._

_She had been waiting in the library for Alex to return from his winter set-up duties, and had apparently sat down and fallen asleep._

_Looking up, she was completely shocked at the time displayed on the clock._

_"It's 2:30 in the morning?" Dash said loudly, realizing just how loud she was being. "Twilight must have just let me sleep here…"_

_Quickly moving past her embarrassment, she started to think about what could have happened… Had Alex come in and walked right past her? He would be getting a smack for doing something like that._

_Walking to his room, Dash was a bit baffled when she didn't find him in there. Had he not come home yet?_

_Deciding to ask Twilight about this, Dash walked up to the second floor of the library, and knocked on her door._

_After a few seconds, Twilight finally answered the door. Her mane was very messy, something that was to be expected._

_"What do you need?" Twilight asked, rubbing her eyes with her hoof._

_"Did Alex come home tonight?" Dash asked._

_"Not that I saw…" Twilight mumbled, shaking her head to wake herself up. "Is he not back yet?"_

_"No." Dash said._

_"Well, maybe he's doing something important." Twilight suggested. "Why are you so worried?"_

_"Oh!" Dash said quickly, trying not to let on that she had feelings for him. "No reason. I just thought he had important plans…"_

_"Sorry, Dash." Twilight said. "But don't worry, I'm sure that he'll show up."  
_  
/-/

Alex stood at the station, waiting for the train to arrive. All he had was a saddlebag with a few necessities.

"Now remember, once you arrive, the training grounds are only a short walk from the train station." Twilight instructed, "So, go there and try to convince them to let you talk to her. Maybe this can all be over with tomorrow."

Alex nodded.

"But, in case you can't get to her, you don't have to worry too much." Twilight said, "We'll be able to see her at the party, two days from now."

"What time does it start?" Alex asked.

"7 O'clock." Twilight answered. "That's in the evening. Don't so don't be there before the sun rises."

"I don't think I could drag Spike out of bed." Alex said, earning a chuckle from Twilight.

"It's good to have you back, Alex." Twilight smiled, "Things have been far too boring without you around here."

"It feels so strange for time to just to have gone like this!" Alex said.

"And, about what happened to you..." Twilight started, "Do you think you could fill me in on that?"

Alex sighed, "I'm still trying to collect all of my thoughts over it… We'll talk when we get this all sorted out?"

"Well… Okay. Besides that, I think that's everything I wanted to tell you," Twilight said scratching her head, "Don't get yourself into trouble though, okay?"

"Me? Trouble?" Alex laughed, "When has that ever happened?"

"Well, TRY, okay?" Twilight asked.

"I'll try." Alex said tracing an 'x' over his chest. "Cross my heart."

"You be good too!" Twilight said, turning to Spike. "Don't make any problems for Alex."

"Twilight… Come on…" Spike said, embarrassed. "I'm not a baby anymore…"

"You'll be a baby until I decide otherwise." She said, checking his saddlebag. "Did you pack everything you need?"

"Yes…" Spike said.

"Did you remember that teddy bear Rarity gave you?" Twilight continued, "I don't want you to go without it!"

"Please stop…" Spike said, completely red. "Why would I need a bear with me?"

Ignoring him, Twilight continued checking his bag. "Oh, here it is!"

Alex felt bad for poor Spike. But, at the same time, he was happy.

Spike changing into a pony must have been huge for Twilight. But, in the end, they still had the same relationship.

"Okay Spike, have fun." Twilight said.

"I will." Spike said, his embarrassment fading. "Thanks."

"Spike!" Rarity called, running toward the station. "I wanted to give you something before you left!"

I'll leave you two alone, Twilight said, winking at Spike, and heading away.

Turning to face her, Spike couldn't help but smile as he watched her run toward him.

As soon as she reached him, she kissed him deeply, surprising Alex.

Alex still wasn't used to Spike being a pony. And he ESPECIALLY wasn't used to Rarity kissing him. It was like everything had changed overnight for him.

Pulling away, Rarity smiled at the grin that Spike now wore. "Remember that when all of those girls are chasing you."

"I-I will…" Spike said happily.

"Well, just as an extra precaution, I wanted you to wear this." Rarity said, lifting Spike off the ground, and slipping a sweater on him.

Examining the sweater, Alex couldn't help but laugh to himself.

"What?" Spike asked, turning his head to look at it. "Is… that your face on it?"

"Mhmm," Rarity said sweetly, "This way they'll definitely know that you're mine."

Spike blushed deeply.

"Hey, it's not so bad!" Alex said, "With her face on there, it's like she's always watching you!"

"Oh, yes!" Rarity agreed excitedly, "Think of it that way!"

Spike laughed, "Okay, Rarity. I won't take it off once."

Hearing the train pull up, Spike turned to the platform. "I guess this is our ride."

Alex nodded, and walked toward the now open train door.

"Hey, wait!" Applejack said, running to catch him. "Twilight sent a letter off to some of my relatives in Manehattan, askin' if you could stay with em'. An' they said yes!

"Oh, awesome!" Alex said, "Thanks a lot!"

"Here," Applejack said, pulling a piece of paper out of her team vest and dropping it in Spikes bag. "That's their address. Head on over whenever works for you."

"Thanks, Applejack!" Spike said.

"No problem!" Applejack smiled, "We don't want you two out in the cold, now do we?"

"Sure don't," Alex said, "Thanks, again."

"Don't go worryin' about it." Applejack said, "Oh, an' Alex, it's great to have you back."

"Thanks." Alex replied.

The train whistle blew twice, signaling it's departure.

"We'd better get going," Alex said.

"Have fun, Spike." Rarity said sweetly, "I'll see you in a few days."

Spike leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I'm looking forward to it."

Blushing, Rarity watched Spike turn and head for the train.

He really had matured in the past few months since his transformation, and she loved it.

Walking into the train, Spike and Alex grabbed a few seats facing the platform.

Alex looked at Spike and took a moment to really look at him. He was a fairly small pony. But, that made sense, considering his size before the transformation. Alex was much larger than him by comparison. Still, he knew that Spike was pretty small before the whole thing happened. It was quite the improvement over his previous form.

"Hey, Alex." Spike said, causing Alex to turn. "I didn't get a chance to say it before… But I'm glad you're back. I really missed you."

"I wish I could say the same," Alex laughed, "But I've only been gone for a day from my point of view."

"That makes sense…" Spike said, a bit sad that those feelings weren't returned.

"I mean, so much has changed… I feel like somepony ripped a chunk out of my life." Alex sighed.

"I'm sorry that happened." Spike consoled, "But for what it's worth, when you disappeared, everypony was miserable."

"Why did they think I was dead?" Alex asked, "I mean, it's not like they saw what happened to me."

"Well, Twilight cast some spell, and it showed her what happened." Spike tried to explain, "She was pretty vague."

"So, how are things with Rarity?" Alex asked, curious about how things had gone between them. "You sure do seem close."

"They're going great!" Spike said, smiling. "She's the best thing that ever happened to me!"

"That's awesome to hear." Alex said, "I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks." Spike said, "I don't think it would have happened if it weren't for you, though."

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"Well, you were always telling me to push harder when it came to her." Spike said, "And that attitude is what she said she loved."

"That was all you," Alex said, "It may have taken longer without me around, but you two would have gotten together eventually."

Hearing the train roar to life, Spike and Alex looked out the window, and saw that all of their friends had gathered at the platform.

Alex and Spike waved, as the girls waved back.

Eventually, the train car pulled far enough away that they were no longer visible.

"Well… Here we go." Alex said. "Off to Manehattan."

"Yup." Spike said, standing up and looking around. "Is there anypony else on this train?"

"I don't think so…" Alex said, "I didn't see anypony else get on… Probably because of Winter Wrap Up. Everypony is too busy."

"Awesome!" Spike said, "Rarity tells me that I snore terribly, and I don't want to be disturbing everypony!"

"Wait… What?!" Alex asked, shocked that he was sleeping with Rarity.

"Oh, it's not what you think!" Spike said quickly, "Since I turned into a pony, I have a slight tendency to… fall asleep at random times…"

"Really?" Alex asked, surprised, "So you're saying that at any point, you could just fall asleep?"

"According to Twilight, it's a difference in internal clocks, between dragons and ponies." Spike explained. "It's like that one condition called Narcolepsy."

"Well that's… Random." Alex said. "Did Pinkie have anything to do with it?"

"I wish!" Spike laughed, "I've fallen asleep at some pretty bad times."

"I'll bet." Alex said, "When was the worst time?"

"That's easy." Spike said, "It was on my first date with Rarity."

"Oh."

/-/

_Spike walked together with his new girlfriend, Rarity, through the snow toward the town's café._

_This had been their first official date, but Spike just didn't have his heart in it. Alex had gone missing, a few weeks before, and this was Rarity's attempt at taking his mind off his missing friend._

_"Spike…" Rarity said, not receiving any kind of acknowledgment. "Perhaps this wasn't a good idea after all…"_

_"No," Spike said, lifting his head up from the ground, "I'm sorry… This is just kinda hard for me…"_

_"I completely understand." Rarity said, closing the distance between them as they walked, "Alex was dear to us all…"_

_Arriving at the café, Spike and Rarity stepped inside, took their respective winter garments off, and found a table._

_"I feel like we should have gone somewhere more special for our first—"_

_"Oh hush, Spike." Rarity said, "I don't care where we go, as long as I'm spending time with you."_

_Spike blushed, and picked up the menu, and quickly decided what he'd like to eat. After a few moments, the waiter came and took their food and drink orders, and then headed into the kitchen._

_"So, Spike." Rarity said, "Has Twilight had any kind of luck finding a lead on Alex's whereabouts?"_

_"No," Spike said sadly, "As far as anypony is concerned, he's just disappeared without a trace."_

_"Well… We can't give up hope!" Rarity said, "We'll find something, I'm sure of it."_

_"Yeah?" Spike asked, happy to have her being so positive._

_"Absolutely." Rarity said, smiling._

_Spike opened his mouth to thank her, but was cut off by the waiter delivering their food._

_"My! That was fast, wasn't it?" Rarity said, "Did you get a new cook?"_

_Looking toward the Kitchen, Rarity clearly saw the cook poking his head out the doors, and wiggling his eyebrows at her._

_Seeing this, Spike growled, a very dragon-like growl._

_"Calm down, Spike!" Rarity scolded, "I assure you that he is no threat to YOU."_

_Hearing this, the cook sighed, and disappeared back into the kitchen._

_Levitating her fork, Rarity was about to start her salad, when she noticed that Spike was having some difficulty._

_"I wasn't really thinking, and I ordered the spaghetti…" Spike said. "I have no idea how to eat this, without hands."_

_Rarity watched as Spike tried (and failed) at picking up a fork by wrapping his hoof around it._

_"Spike… Perhaps you should just—"_

_"No!" Spike said, completely determined, "I can do this!"_

_Rarity watched Spike try for the next few minutes, but he still had no luck._

_"Listen, Spike." Rarity said, "Why don't you just-"_

_Rarity was cut off again as Spike suddenly passed out, and landed face first in his pasta, splashing sauce all over his face._

_"Oh dear," Rarity giggled, finding more humor in this situation than embarrassment. "You have really got to work on that."_

_As she finished speaking, Spike immediately started snoring loudly._

_"You're going to have to work on THAT too." Rarity said, snickering._

_Reaching into her purse, Rarity pulled out the necessary payment for lunch, and dropped it on the table._

_"Let's get you home Spikey." Rarity said, levitating him off the table with little trouble. "After all, you need to clean up so you can go back to being the most stunningly handsome pony that I've ever laid my eyes—"  
_  
/-/

"Wait…" Alex said, cutting off the story, "If you were asleep… How did you know that she said that?"

"Well, I ASSUME that she said that." Spike said, grinning like an idiot, "Why wouldn't she say that?"

Alex laughed, and then decided to continue the conversation.

"How often do you fall asleep like that?" Alex asked.

"Not as often as I used too." Spike explained, "It used to be once or twice a day, but now we're down to once a week."

"That's good." Alex said, "I'd hate for you to pass out at any point in the next few days."

"Well, there you go." Spike said, "You jinxed it. It's gonna happen now."

Alex laughed, then decided to move on.

"So, you don't have a cutie mark yet, huh?" Alex asked, having noticed his lack of one.

"No…" Spike sighed, "I thought it would be something easy like… Parchment and a Quill."

"Well, maybe that means you have some other talent that you just haven't discovered yet." Alex encouraged.

Spike nodded. "I hope so."

Alex patted Spike on the shoulder, before glancing at the clock on the wall.

"We should probably get some sleep," Alex said, "Get this trip over with as quickly as possible."

"Definitely." Spike agreed; walking to the other side of the car, dropping his saddle bag, and lying down on the bunk-bed like cots they had set up.

Alex walked over, and dropped his bag as well, and then lay down in the bed across from the one Spike had chosen.

"Sorry if I snore," Spike laughed, "I really don't mean to."

"Don't worry about it," Alex said, "Get some sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

"Okay," Spike said, "Goodnight."

"'Night." Alex said back, before closing his eyes, and slowly drifting off.

/-/

_Twilight shifted uncomfortably._

_Next to her bed, laid Spike. However, he wasn't the Spike she was used to._

_A few days ago, he had been transformed into a pony, and she was still completely baffled when it came to it._

_He would still come up to their room, and curl up in the bed that was much too small for him. And, on top of everything, Spike snored like crazy. Before, it had been quiet, and very easy to ignore. But now, it was like somepony was smashing her in the head with a brick. Sometimes he would stop, making her think that she was finally going to be able to sleep soundly. But, he always seemed to start up again when she dozed off._

_She had been considering giving him his own room, but had been reluctant to do so, as Spike had been sleeping in the same room with her for years. She was used to his presence. So, as bad as the snoring was, she was just going to have to live with it. Snoring wasn't enough for her to change their sleeping arrangements. Even if he was a pony._

_Twilight closed her eyes, and started working on tuning his snoring out._

_"Mmmmm…" Spike mumbled in his sleep, "Stop it, Rarity… Twilight is asleep in the bed next to us."_

_Twilights eyes snapped open._

_Maybe another room would be in order._

/-/

"All off for Manehattan!" The conductor said, walking up and down the car ringing a bell.

"We're here already?" Alex asked, rubbing his eyes.

"We sure are!" Spike said, already awake. "Come on! Get up!"

Alex opened his eyes slightly, and saw Spike trotting around in his sweater from Rarity. He really wasn't going to take that off, was he?

Rolling out of the bed, Alex grabbed his bag and tossed it over his back, before walking slowly toward the front of the train car, still in a tired daze. He really wished that he could just go back to sleep. He felt like he hadn't had any yet.

Stepping outside the train, Alex was snapped into awake-mode by the brisk air outside the train.

"It's still cold here!" Spike said, inhaling deeply.

"Well, winter did just end," Alex said. "I'm sure the warm weather will start soon enough though."

Spike nodded and walked alongside Alex, as they walked away from the train station.

"Okay… So, which way did Twilight say was the way to the Wonderbolt training facility?" Spike asked.

"She said it was… That way." Alex said, pointing toward a large stadium, a short distance from the station.

"Let's go then!" Spike said eagerly. "I wanna see Rainbow!"

"Me too." Alex said with a smile. "Me too."

/

Alex couldn't believe how different Manehattan was from Ponyville. There were apartment buildings, skyscrapers, and even shopping malls! It really made him miss home.

Sure, he loved Equestria, but there were just some things that this world didn't have…

"Wow… Everything is so… big here!" Spike said, looking around.

"I'm pretty used to it." Alex said, "My world had lots of places like this."

"Well, maybe we can look around once we get Dash outta there!" Spike said.

Alex could feel his heart beating. Even though he had seen her only a few days before… It still felt like three months anyway. She had gone and done so much… But, he was going to try and get her back.

"What if she doesn't want to come back?" Alex asked suddenly, surprising Spike.

"What do you mean?" Spike said, "Of course she'll want to come back!"

"But… Being a Wonderbolt has always been her dream…" Alex said.

Spike sighed, "I don't think Twilight would want me to tell you this… But, she spent a lot of time with Rainbow after you disappeared."

Alex cocked an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Dash confided a LOT in Twilight about you." Spike said, "She was… She was crazy about you."

/-/

_The Library had been quite busy since Alex had disappeared. Twilight and Spike had dedicated themselves to finding a way to get him back._

_Twilight looked through every book she could think of. Looking for tracking spells, reappearing magic, but nothing seemed to work._

_Inside Alex's room, Spike sat and read through any magic guide he could find in there. However, he stopped when he heard the door open, and then close. Pressing his ear against the closed door, Spike listened to the conversation that followed._

_"Hey Twi," Dash said walking in through the front door of the library, "Any luck?"_

_"Nothing yet…" Twilight said, noticing Dash's expression immediately sadden. "I'm sorry…"_

_Dash sighed, and sat down on the floor. Alex had disappeared a few nights ago, and nopony had heard a word._

_"Where could he have gone…?" Dash said sadly._

_"I don't know Dash," Twilight said, still flipping through the book in front of her. "But, wherever he went, he couldn't have made it far!"_

_"You don't think he did this on purpose… Do you?" Dash asked._

_"Of course not!" Twilight said, turning a page. "Alex isn't the type to just up and leave."_

_Dash remained silent._

_"Something must have happened, that made him have to leave." Twilight said, "Either that, or something took him away."_

_Still, Dash didn't say a word._

_"But, I'm sure he'll turn up eventually," Twilight said, "I just hope he isn't hurt when he does…"_

_Twilight's ears perked up when she heard an odd noise coming from Dash. She was… sniveling._

_"Dash?" Twilight asked, approaching her friend, who was looking at the ground, with her arms over her eyes. "Are you okay?"_

_"…No," Dash croaked out, hiding her eyes from Twilight. "I'm not."_

_Sitting down next to her friend, Twilight wrapped her arms around Dash. She was a little surprised that Dash was having this reaction. But, all Twilight needed to worry about right now, was that her friend was feeling bad._

_"I… I miss him…" Dash cried._

_"I do too…" Twilight said truthfully, missing his presence in the library. He always seemed to cheer the place up._

_"I don't want him to be gone, Twilight…" Dash said, "I… I just don't…"_

_Twilight was a little more surprised to hear this. Was there something between them that Twilight hadn't known about?_

_"Dash…" Twilight said, trying to find the right words, "Were you two…?"_

_Looking up from the floor and revealing her very bloodshot, and tear filled eyes, Dash looked at Twilight._

_"A little bit…" Dash admitted, wiping a tear away from her cheek. "At least… I thought we were going to be."_

_Twilight remained silent, and let Dash speak._

_"That's why I was at the library the night he disappeared." Dash said, "He was going to take me out on… On a date."_

_Twilight felt her heart wrench as Dash's eyes once again filled with tears._

_"Please Twi…" Dash said, "Find a way to bring him back… There must be some obscure spell, or- or something!"_

_That gave Twilight an idea. The library was filled with books on common magic. If she wanted to find some less-known, more helpful spells, she should be in the Canterlot Archive. The entire Star Swirl the Bearded wing would be full of those kinds of spells._

_"Of course!" Twilight said standing up, "It's a long shot, but Canterlot might have just what we need!"_

_Dash looked up at her hopefully, "Really?"_

_"I can't promise anything," Twilight said, "But I'll try my best."_

_"Thank you…" Dash said, standing up and approaching Twilight._

_"Don't thank me yet…" Twilight said._

_"No… I mean, for being here for me…" Dash said, trying to make herself a bit more presentable, "I don't know how anypony else would have reacted if I had done that in front of them…"_

_"Well, if you ever need somepony to talk to… I'm here for you." Twilight said, placing a hoof on Dash's shoulder._

_"Thanks." Dash said, smiling weakly. "It means a lot to me."_

/-/

Alex felt his heart flutter. He was happy to hear that she said those things. She felt the same way for him that he felt for her.

"So, all we have to do is get her to SEE you," Spike said, "She'll come running."

"Good." Alex said smiling.

Looking up, Alex and Spike were surprised that they were at their destination already. Wonder Stadium.

Looking around, Alex could see the large anti-magic bubble that had been placed around the stadium. It was bigger than he had thought. It encompassed a huge field behind the main building, and extended to some garages that were almost out of sight from their position.

"I didn't think this place was so huge." Alex said as he and Spike walked up to the front doors.

Opening the door, they walked through the empty lobby toward a help desk on the far side of the room.

As Alex and Spike got closer, they saw a rather apathetic looking unicorn, sitting behind the desk, flipping through pages of a magazine.

The two stood awkwardly, waiting for her to acknowledge them. But, after a few moments of silence, Alex finally cleared his throat, causing her to look up at them.

"Welcome to Wonder Stadium," The receptionist said in a very bored voice, "How can I assist you?"

"I was wondering if I could speak with one of the Wonderbolt trainees…" Alex asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's impossible." The girl said, "Wonderbolt rules clearly state that—"

"Yes," Spike cut in, "We know the rules, but this is an emergency!"

The girl looked at Spike, and then to Alex.

Seeing her gaze on him, Alex nodded quickly.

The girl sighed, "I'll let you speak with the team manager, but don't hold your breath."

"Thank you." Alex said, hoping that it would all work out.

The receptionist stood up, and walked through a door off to their left.

"I hope she lets us see her…" Spike said.

"You and me both, buddy." Alex agreed.

The receptionist walked back out the door, and looked to them. "She'll see you."

Looking at each other and nodding, Spike and Alex walked past the receptionist, and into a rather long hallway.

Passing several doors on both sides of the hall, they eventually came to a door at the very end. On it, it read 'Comet: Team Manager.'

Opening the door, Alex and Spike saw a very important looking Pegasus, who they assumed was Comet, standing behind a wooden desk, surrounded by various ribbons and trophies, all hung up on the wall.

Comet was a scarlet red pony, with an auburn shade of red in her mane.

She was dressed in a light red business suit, and had an even had red lipstick on. Overall, she was really, really red.

"How can I help you Gentlecolts?" Comet asked examining the ponies in front of her.

"Well…" Alex said slowly, trying not to be intimidated by the impressive pony in front of him. "I was wondering—"

"You're an Alicorn, eh?" Comet cut in. "How're your flying skills?"

Alex wasn't sure where she was going with this, but he didn't have time for it. "I am horrid at flying."

"Shame." Comet said, "We could use one of you."

"Look, we really need help," Alex said, moving on, "We need to see one of the trainees here."

"Yes, I was informed." Comet said, "However, I'd like to know why I should break our rules for you."

"I have a friend in there," Spike said, "Her name is Rainbow Dash—"

"Oh? You know Dash?" Comet asked, "She's the most promising trainee we've had in years. What do you need to tell her?"

"We need to tell her that I'm alive!" Alex said, earning a hard look from Comet.

"You're Alex?" She asked, suddenly completely serious.

"Uh, yes?" Alex said slowly, "Has she mentioned me?"

"She has mentioned you, yes." Comet said.

"So you understand that I need to see her?" Alex asked.

Comet remained silent, clearly thinking.

"I'm afraid that I can't do that." She finally told him, "It could potentially… hurt the future of the team"

"What?" Alex asked, shocked that she was saying this.

"As I'm sure you know, Rainbow Dash is a very gifted pony," Comet explained. "She's fast, she's tough, and she had a kick-rump cutie mark to boot. She's going to be a Wonderbolt. No question."

Alex didn't like where this was going.

"That girl could even be the Captain in a few years." Comet explained, "So. I'm afraid that I have no intention of allowing you to speak to her."

"You can't do that!" Spike shouted.

"I can, and I just did," Comet laughed, flaring her wings. "I can't risk losing such a strong flier."

"But…" Alex started, before feeling himself being lifted up by a levitation spell. "Hey!"

"Right on time, boys." Comet laughed.

Alex and Spike were both being lifted off the ground by a pair of rather tough looking ponies.

One of the stallions was a normal green unicorn, with a black suit, and sunglasses.

The other, was an absolutely massive white pony, that looked like he had a small… Okay, massive steroid problem. He even had the tiny horn to match.

"Could you please remove these ponies from the premises, Jango?" Comet asked smaller one.

"Right away, Ma'am." The Jango said, "Come on, Tulip."

"YEEAAAAHHHH!" The massive pony said walking away, floating Alex and Spike away from the office, and eventually out of the building, where they were dropped on their rumps at the bottom of the stone stairs that they had climbed a few minutes earlier.

"Don't let us see you two around here again," Jango said menacingly, "This meathead is unstable."

Alex and Spike looked at Tulip, and watched his eye twitch.

"HAVE A NICE DAY." Tulip shouted, walking back into the stadium with Jango.

"Well." Spike said, "That didn't go as well as I hoped it would."

/

Rainbow Dash stood inside the famous Wonder Stadium; the place where ponies went to become Wonderbolts, something that she had dreamed of her entire life. She had always pictured herself racing through the sky as her fans cheered for her. Right now, she was training on the ground. The only stadiums that featured high altitude racing were the ones in high altitude locations, such as Cloudsdale, and Canterlot. Not everypony would be able to attend, if all the races were held in the sky.

Her hair had grown out a couple of inches in the past few months. At first, it had simply been because of winter, and she would have gotten her usual haircut before the winter wrap up started. But, since she had left well before that, she had just never gotten around to it.

The air felt warmer that it had at her previous practices. Winter was ending. The magic barrier surrounding the stadium kept the inside warm enough that snow would almost instantly melt, so training had been much better here than back in Ponyville…

Dash sighed, she felt bad that she wasn't in Ponyville with her friends cleaning up winter. But, she was here now, and she was going to see this through to the end.

Standing on the start line of the stadium race track, Dash flexed her wings, and readied herself for another easy win against her fellow trainees.

"Alright, Ponies!" Spitfire said to the group in front of her. "Today, you're all going to show me just how much you've progressed!"

Dash looked down the line, and felt completely confident. Sure, the best young fliers in Equestria were here. But, as she had learned from the past few weeks, when it came to speed and agility, none of these ponies held a candle to her.

"This is going to be just like your final exam, deciding if any of you will be making it into the Wonderbolts!" Spitfire announced, "Five laps around the track, first one done wins."

"Easy." Dash mumbled.

"Stay in your lane, and don't get anypony else hurt!" Spitfire instructed. "Now, is everypony good to go?"

Every pony in the group, except Rainbow Dash got in starting position. They leaned forward, lowered their heads, and raised their flanks.

"Ready… Set… Go!"

Spitfire blew the whistle around her neck, and watched as all of the trainees took off. All of the trainees, except for Rainbow Dash.

"Dash!" Spitfire shouted, "What are you doing?"

"I'm just giving them a fair chance." Dash said casually.

Spitfire couldn't argue with her. She was well aware of Dash's speed.

As soon as the group passed the starting line again, beginning their second laps, Dash raised herself, and then took off at an absolutely blinding speed. Leaving a long streak of rainbow in her wake.

Rushing around the course, Dash finished her first lap in half the time it had taken every pony else.

On her second lap, she caught up to the group.

On her third, she put herself in first place.

Something she liked about having her mane longer, was the rainbow effect that she achieved while moving at high speeds. The colors traveled much further behind her with the aid of her longer hair. Something that she knew made her look amazing during a race.

In the final two laps, Dash put such a large distance between her and second place, that she was able to stop short of the finish line, and trot slowly over it.

"You're somethin' else Dash." Spitfire said, laughing, as Dash walked away from the track. "I'm surprised that you weren't trying out for this earlier."

Dash shrugged, not at all phased by the race she had just taken part of. "I never had a real reason before."

"Well, either way." Spitfire said, "You're going to make a great addition to the team!"

"Thanks." Dash said plainly.

As the other trainees finished the race, most of them collapsed at the finish line, gasping for breath.

"Everypony could learn a thing or two from Dash here!" Spitfire said to the group of panting ponies. "But for now, go rest up! We have a busy day ahead of us!"

The group collectively sighed, as they separated, and headed off on their own.

"See you in a bit, Dash." Spitfire said, heading toward the change rooms.

Dash sighed and sat down.

Looking up at the sky, she thought about everything that had happened recently. Leaving her home, her friends… Losing Alex… She still wasn't sure if she should be here.

Being so lost in her thoughts, Dash failed to notice the pony walk up behind her.

"Well howdy there, Dashie." A pony said. "What'cha thinkin' about?"

Dash quickly stood up and turned toward the pony behind her.

"Uh… Hey… Mr. Bear…" Dash said avoiding contact with the pony in front of her.

"Hey now, Mr. Bear is my father." He said, breathing heavily through his teeth. "Call me… Cuddly Bear."

Dash Cringed.

For a middle aged Pegasus, Cuddly Bear was rather small. He had a brown coat and a very thin layer of dark brown hair over the top of his head that had been gelled down to his scalp. He was the custodian of Wonder Stadium, and was notorious amongst all the girls who trained there, for his ability to creep anypony out on a whim.

He had been pestering Dash for the past few weeks, and making her extremely uncomfortable in the process.

"Hey… Cuddly..." Dash said nervously, avoiding eye contact with him. "I was actually... Just going to get something to eat!"

"Oh, well, would you mind if I tagged along?" Cuddly asked, staring at her with a piercing glare. "I'm hungry something awful."

"Did I say eat?" Dash corrected, "I meant that I was going to SLEEP! I'm just… So tired… That I don't know what I'm saying!"

"Well… Maybe I could join yo—"

"Woah! Would you look at the time!" Dash said glancing at the watch she had just drawn on her wrist. "I'd better get going!"

Dash then zoomed away from the field, leaving Cuddly alone.

"I'll see you later, Dashie." Cuddly said to himself, licking his lips. "I'll miss you."

/

Alex sighed, as he and Spike headed away from the stadium.

Things had NOT gone according to plan.

"I can't believe they just threw us out!" Spike said, as he and Alex walked down the road.

"That manager is evil!" Alex agreed, "She does not want us taking Dash away from her."

"And did you see that one henchman?" Spike asked. "He was scary!"

"I know! It looked like he was on steroids!" Alex said.

"Steroids?" Spike asked, "I… don't think those exist in Equestria."

"Oh… Well, they're a kind of drug that make you really muscular and make your… Horn really small." Alex said, after a brief pause.

"Either way… I don't want to mess with him." Spike admitted, "He didn't even look stable."

"Well, we just might end up crossing paths with him again," Alex said, to Spike's dismay. "We have to get word to Dash that we're here."

"Oh man…" Spike grumbled.

"Well… We can relax for right now," Alex said, "We'll give it a bit of time, and maybe they'll let their guard down."

"Well, in the meantime, do you want to go sightseeing?" Spike asked, "There's plenty to do."

"Well, let's just get settled first." Alex said, "What was the address Applejack gave us?"

"It's just down 17th…" Spike said, pulling a piece of paper out of his bag.

"That's where we are though," Alex said, looking around, "And I don't see anything but mansions."

"Oh! Spike said, running a short distance down the road, and reading a sign. "I think this is it!"

Alex walked over, and stood next to Spike.

"Orange," Alex read, "So, Applejacks is related to a family called 'The Oranges?'"

"I guess," Spike said. "So… Should we go and knock?"

"Sure..." Alex said, walking up the large lawn toward the front door.

Raising a hoof, Alex knocked on the door three times.

Spike had made his way up behind Alex, and now hid behind him.

The front door slowly opened, and the two were faced with a rather tall, white Unicorn, dressed in a suit that covered his flank, with a navy blue mane, that was combed back. His suit extended down his body, and covered his cutie mark, leaving Alex wondering what it could possibly be.

"Please come in," The Pony said in a polite voice, "I've been expecting you."

Following the pony into the mansion, Alex and Spike were marveled. The house was absolutely massive.

"Wow!" Spike said, "This place is beautiful!"

"I didn't know Applejack had relatives with so much money!" Alex said as they arrived in the living room.

"Now, you've been invited to stay in the Oranges Residence while they're out of town." The Unicorn said, "So, please try to leave things as they are."

"Sure!" Spike agreed. "Are you one of Applejacks relatives? Or do you work here?"

"Well, I could try to overstate my title," The Unicorn said, "But, simply, I am the butler, and my name is Ramsley."

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Alex!" Alex said extending a hoof, which Ramsley hesitantly shook. "I promise we won't be causing any trouble."

"And I'm Spike!" Spike said, deciding not to push his luck on a second hoof-shake.

"That's quite the sweater you have on." Ramsley said, eyeing Spikes outfit.

"Thanks!" Spike said, mistaking his comment for a complement.

"So, that pony on the side has you under her hoof, correct?" Ramsley asked.

"Under her… What?" Spike asked.

Alex nodded quickly to Ramsley, earning a chuckle from him.

"Very good." Ramsley said, "Now, let me to show you to your rooms."

"Great!" Alex said, walking behind the butler, "So… Where are Mr. and Ms. Orange?"

"Mosley Orange was called away on a business venture in Fillydelphia, so the mistress went with him to keep him company." Ramsley explained, and the trio headed up a flight of stairs. "They'll be gone for the next two weeks."

"Well, we'll try to get out of your mane as quickly as possible." Alex said, "We just need to reach our friend."

"Ah yes, the Wonderbolt-in-training that Applejack mentioned in her letter." Ramsley said, "I do hope you succeed in your endeavor. I know how difficult the security can be."

"You do?" Alex asked, surprised.

"Oh yes," Ramsley said, "I used to work there."

"Really?" Spike asked. "When?"

"It's been… almost fifteen years now." Ramsley answered, a bit surprised at the time passed.

"What did you do?" Alex asked, as they turned down a hallway.

"I was a bouncer of sorts," Ramsley continued, "I would deal with unruly fans and such."

"You don't seem like the type!" Spike said.

"You notice that I'm working here now?" Ramsley said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah…" Spike said, embarrassed.

"The pony that replaced me was much more suited for the job. He was much colder than me" Ramsley continued, "He worked under me for a while… And hated every minute of it."

"Why?" Alex asked.

"Always thought he was tougher than me," Ramsley explained, "I put him in his place… But he got my job as a result; he was quite smug about it."

"You didn't quit that job?" Spike asked.

"Here we are," Ramsley said ignoring his question as they reached the end of the hallway, "Please choose which room you would like."

Alex looked at the doors on either side of the hall. There were two on the left, two on the right, and one in the center at the very end. And for some reason, that was the one that Alex wanted.

Unfortunately, Spike had the same idea. So, when they saw each other heading for the same room, they both picked up speed, wanting to be the first one there.

Ramsley spoke up, trying to end the race. "The room on the end is—"

He was cut off when Spike fumbled on his relatively new hoofs, and crashed into Alex, knocking them both on the floor, only inches away from their goal.

"—The restroom." Ramsley sighed. "Now, please choose a room, unless you wish to sleep in the bath tub."

The two scrambled to stand up.

"Uh… Sorry." Alex said, laughing nervously as he chose the first door on the left side.

"Quite." Ramsley said, watching Spike choose the second door on the right. "Now, please take some time to get yourselves settled. Lunch will be served shortly."

"Thanks!" Alex said, poking his head out the door, only to see Ramsley gone.

"He seems nice!" Spike said, stepping back into the hallway.

"Yeah," Alex said, "I'd like to hear that story about him being a bouncer, though."

"Oh well." Spike said, "Let's get unpacked."

"Sure," Alex said levitating his bags off his back.

"I wish that I had packed my…" Spike began.

"Your… what?" Alex asked, turning around. "Oh…"

Spike had collapsed, and was now snoring loudly.

"Does it happen that fast?" Alex said out loud, "Let's hope you don't keep doing that."

/

Rainbow Dash walked through the lobby of Wonder Stadium, and approached the front doors.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jango said, cutting her off.

"Relax!" Dash said, "I know the rules. I'm just taking a look outside."

Knowing that Alex and Spike could be back at any time, Jango decided not to risk it.

"I'm going to have to insist that you return to the innermost parts of the stadium," Jango asked, "Some ponies can have over-zealous attitudes when it comes to meeting a Wonderbolt… Even ones in training."

"Really?" Dash asked, smelling something fishy. "When has that happened?"

"Is there something wrong, Jango?" Comet asked, clearly seeing that Dash was being a problem.

"No Ma'am!" Jango said quickly.

"I hope not." Comet said, seeing the problem he was having. "Dash, would you please take a walk with me?"

"Uh… Sure." Dash said, heading away from the doors.

"I'd like to discuss your future as a wonderbolt." Comet said, as her and Dash headed toward her office. "Now, you know that Spitfire is finishing her final term as team captain in a few years, right?"

"Yeah," Dash said, "She told everypony that a few days ago,"

"Well, let me tell you what I was thinking," Comet said, "I know that in a couple of years of training, you'll be the strongest flier on the team, bar none."

"So…" Dash said, trying to comprehend what Comet was telling her, "You're saying that… I might become captain that fast?!"

Comet smiled, Dash was taking the bait. The more excited she could make her about the team, the more likely she would be to stay.

"Absolutely," Comet answered, "I can't think of another pony to fill the position."

"Well… I don't know what to say!" Dash said, picturing herself in the leading position.

"Don't say anything." Comet smiled, "Just remember, the sooner you're a Wonderbolt, the sooner we can get this done."

Hearing Spitfire blow the whistle out on the field, Dash turned toward the door. "I'd better go. But, thanks for the offer."

"No need to thank me." Comet said, "I only want what's best for you."

Dash thanked her, then turned and headed toward the field. She couldn't help but feel a bit strange. She thought she would be more excited for that kind of news… Under different circumstances, Dash knew that she would be jumping up and down 'oh-my-gosh-ing.'

But, she still felt like she had abandoned her friends. Which, made all of her victories feel like complete failures.

Comet walked to the VIP lounge overlooking the field, and sat down.

Dash was, as Comet expected, destroying all of the competition. She hadn't seen a single pony excel like this since... Since herself, almost twenty five years ago.

Everything Comet saw in Dash, was what she had been, back when she was a Wonderbolt herself.

The skill, the cockiness, the drive to become better… She was almost surprised at the similarity.

But, there was still one thing left that she would have to cut off.

Alex.

Comet knew how one little distraction like him, could ruin Dash's future in the Wonderbolts. So, she was going to have to find a way to make her cut all ties with her friends. And, hopefully, she'll become so involved with the team, that Alex's inevitable return to her won't lead her to make a stink about her contract with the team. Which, she would lose in the end either way.

Comet herself had even thrown away the stallion she loved to become a part of the team. And as far as she was concerned, that was best choice she had ever made.

/

Alex had woken up Spike when they had been called down to the table for lunch. They were now sitting at the table, anxiously awaiting the food Ramsley had prepared for them.

"Lunch is served." Ramsley said carrying out a large silver platter, just high enough that they weren't able to see what was on it.

"Thank goodness!" Spike said happily, "I'm starved!"

"Definitely!" Alex agreed, "Getting thrown out of stadiums has a way of working up an appetite."

"Well, If you're hoping to stuff yourself, then…" Ramsley said placing the patter on the table, "You came to the wrong place."

The sadness that Alex felt in his heart was almost unbearable when he saw the miniscule portions on the platter.

"Are those… Crackers?" Spike asked, scratching his head.

"Biscuits." Ramsley corrected, "With a dab of a rather runny cheese that I wouldn't want to confuse you by pronouncing."

Alex poked one of the biscuits with his hoof, before levitating it off the plate, and placing it in his mouth.

Chewing for a moment, Alex tried his best not to make a face. The dab of cheese had gotten a thin layer of skin on it that was sticking to the roof of his mouth. It wasn't bad tasting whatsoever. In fact, he quite liked the taste. But, in this case, texture was the killer. Having a mouthful of cheese juice, and a bunch of soft lumps, was almost enough to make him gag.

"It's… Great!" Alex said, feigning a smile.

"Really?" Spike asked excitedly, "Let me try one!"

As soon as the biscuit went into Spike's mouth, he spat it right back out.

"Ugh! What do you mean!?" Spike said, trying to wipe the taste off his tongue. "Why would you lie to me about something like this?"

Ramsley couldn't help but laugh at the reaction.

"The truth is, I quite dislike that myself." Ramsley said, "In fact, most of the fancy foods that ponies eat these days are rather... Gross."

"I didn't expect you to say that!" Alex laughed, "I figured it was just an acquired taste that I didn't have."

"I haven't acquired it myself," Ramsley said, "And I hope I never do."

"I agree." Spike said, "This stuff is nasty! What else do you have around here?"

"Well, we don't have much in the house…" Ramsley said, scratching his head, "Perhaps we could go out?"

"Sounds good to me!" Spike said, happy to be getting away from his current lunch.

"I know just the place." Ramsley said.

/

Walking away from the mansion, the three chatted lightly as they followed Ramsley.

After 15 minutes of walking, they arrived at a small pizzeria, a few blocks away from Wonder Stadium.

"This isn't exactly what I was expecting," Alex said to Ramsley.

"Pizza is probably my favorite dish," Ramsley said, "I've been eating it for my whole life."

Walking into the diner, the three chose a table, and let Ramsley handle the food.

"Hey, Ram!" An older pony said, walking toward the table, "Back so soon? And with friends?"

"Of course!" Ramsley said, smiling, "And these ponies with me are, Alex, and Spike. They're staying at the house."

Ram? That was not a name Alex had expected to hear him called.

"Well, it's nice to meet you guys." The waitress said, "My name is Daisy."

"Nice to meet you!" Alex and Spike both said.

"I like your sweater!" Daisy said to Spike, pointing at Rarity's face on the fabric.

"Really?" Spike asked.

"That your marefriend?" Daisy asked, "She sure looks pretty!"

"Thanks!" Spike smiled, "She gave it to me, so the girls here would know that I'm off limits."

Daisy chuckled, before turning back to Ramsley, "You just want the usual?"

"Well, you'd best make it a large," Ramsley said, "And as for drinks… I believe that water will suffice…?"

Alex and Spike both nodded.

"Sounds good to me." Alex said.

"Alright, I'll be back with your stuff in a bit, Ram." Daisy said.

As she walked off, Alex had to ask. "She shortens your name to Ram?"

"Ah, yes." Ramsley said. "It actually has a bit of a story behind it."

"Oh?" Alex said, very interested.

"The truth is… you two lengthen my name." Ramsley said, earning looks of confusion from the two.

"Ramsley isn't my real name." Ramsley explained.

"So… What's your real name?" Spike asked.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" Ramsley asked, chuckling. "So, tell me, how do you plan on getting to your friend?"

"Well… We really don't know." Alex said, sighing. "They have some kind of anti-magic barrier surrounding the stadium. Only a few spells can be used there, and they're not every helpful to us."

"I remember the barrier." Ramsley said. "I had to learn those spells myself when I used to work there."

Alex lit up. "Do you think you could help us?"

"I'm afraid I can't," Ramsley admitted. "It has been a few more years than I care to count since I was taught that magic. I don't think I could even preform them myself."

"You never did tell us about how you quit that job." Spike said, earning an annoyed look from Ramsley.

"Again, it's something that I would prefer to keep to myself." Ramsley answered. "Maybe once we become best friends, I'll tell you."

"Do you really think that we'll become—" Spike started, before seeing the dead-pan look on the butlers face, "Oh. That was a joke"

Ramsley sighed as he thought back to that day. That had been the day his whole life had changed. If Spike or Alex were to see him back then, they wouldn't have recognized him at all. He was a very different pony back then.

/-/

_Ram was sitting on a bench inside Wonder Stadium. He couldn't believe everything that had happened in the past few hours. His marefriend, a member of the Wonderbolts, had just broken up with him. The massive amount of time that the team demanded from her left her with no time for him. He had met her when she first became a trainee, and had quickly gotten together with her. They had been together for almost two years, but, she ended it just before their anniversary._

_"Hey, Ram." A voice said from behind him. "I heard Chaser dumped your rump."_

_"Leave me alone, Jango." Ram growled, not turning to face him._

_Jango was the grandson of the team manager. He had gotten this job for that reason, and only that reason. He was smug, pompous, and had the biggest superiority complex that Ram had ever seen. He acted out constantly, but would never be fired for it._

_"If you ask me, I'm surprised that she didn't do it earlier!" Jango laughed._

_Ram silently fumed._

_"What's wrong, Ram?" Jango asked, feigning concern. "Are you going to cry?"_

_"Keep this up, and one of us will." Ram said quietly._

_"What was that?" Jango asked, "You sad because you lost that fine piece of tail?"_

_Ram stood up, but kept his back to Jango. "Shut up."_

_"Why don't you turn around, and say that to my face?" Jango asked, happy to be getting the rise out of him._

_Ram turned around, and stepped to within an inch of Jango. "Shut. Up."_

_Grinning cockily, Jango pulled his head back, and then threw it forward, head butting Ram._

_Ram staggered back, wincing in pain from the sudden hit._

_"Who do you think you are?" Jango asked angrily. "Taking to ME like that? My grandfather is the manager of this whole place!"_

_"You think you're special?" Ram asked, "Better than everypony else?"_

_"I don't think that," Jango laughed. "I know it."_

_Righting himself, Ram growled. "Back off, or else."_

_Jango laughed loudly. "Or else what?"_

_"Or else I'll make you back off." Ram warned._

_"Bring it." Jango said, standing up on his hind legs. "You don't stand a chance."_

_Ram saw that Jango wanted to have hoof to hoof combat, and was more than happy to oblige. It was an unconventional way of fighting, but not unheard of. He had even been trained in it for a few months. So, smiling, he followed suit, and got himself into attack position._

_"Don't say I didn't warn you." Ram said._

_Instead of answering, Jango immediately lunged at Ram, trying to get in the first blow with a right hook._

_Ram had anticipated this, and quickly dodged under Jango's attack, causing Jango to lunge past him. Seizing the moment, Ram hit him in the small of his back, knocking him back to his normal standing position._

_Quickly turning, Jango stood back up, and tried his best to get in a hit of his own._

_Throwing a punch, Ram moved his head to the side, sending Jango right past him._

_Ram returned with a hard hit across his face with a strike of his own._

_Jango growled, and wiped some blood from his nose._

_"I'm just getting started." Ram grinned. "You should quit before you get really hurt."_

_Taking a step toward Ram, Jango decided to play dirty._

_"Fine." Jango lied, "You win."_

_Relaxing, Ram tried to make good, and extended his hoof for a shake._

_Seeing Ram lower his guard, Jango quickly cast a levitation spell, and pulled a small potted plant off a table, which hit Ram in the back of the head, and then smashed. Causing him to fall forward, putting him on four legs once again._

_Still on his hind legs, Jango walked over Ram and laughed. "What did I say before?"_

_Seeing Jango lower his guard to gloat, Ram, reached forward and hooked his front hoof around the left leg that Jango was standing on._

_Yanking as hard as he could, Jango started to lose his balance, and tried his best to keep from falling backward. Which, gave Ram the opportunity to stand himself up, and throw a powerful punch into Jango's stomach, sending him into the floor._

_Jango collapsed on his back, and groaned in pain loudly._

_"I don't know what you said before," Ram smiled, answering Jango's pervious question. "I was too busy thinking about your mother and me last night."_

_"Ram!" The Team Manager shouted, having seen the altercation, and heard the comment about his daughter. "Get in my office, now!"_

_Jango ignored his pain long enough to laugh at Ram and say, "It's been nice working with you."_

_The truth was… Ram really didn't care. At this point, he would be happier doing a boring job, rather than sticking around here, and seeing Chaser every day._

_Walking into the office, Ram was immediately bombarded by the screaming of the team manager._

_"By the time I'm done here, you won't be able to get a job waiting tables at McBucks!"_

/-/

Ramsley smiled to himself. He sure showed him. All had had to do, was learn to speak in a more fancy way, and he had no problem getting hired by the Oranges.

"So… What else could we do?"" Spike asked, snapping Ramsley back into the conversation.

"Well… There's no roof on the stadium," Alex said, "Can anypony here fly?"

Ramsley and Spike both shook their head.

"Swing and a miss." Alex sighed, "You don't think we could get somepony to do it for us, do you?"

"I don't think so." Ramsley said, "Everypony around here knows the rules regarding the stadium… Breaking them always ends with you being roughed up by security on your way out."

"Well…" Alex said, "Let's try to think of something else then."

/

Dash into her room, and laid down on the bed. She had just finished a busy training session, and was feeling like a nap. She wouldn't be needed back on the field for a little. And, since the rooms were located within the stadium, she could be back to practice within minutes of waking up.

Lying down on her bed, Dash put her hoofs behind her head, and closed her eyes.

She had so many questions in her head… Should she go through with this? Should she run home right now? Or should she stay, and fulfill her lifelong dream?

All that mattered right now, was that she was tired. So, pushing those thoughts aside, Dash allowed herself to doze off for a few minutes.

Unfortunately, what awaited her in her sleep, wasn't any better than what she was dealing with in the real world.

/-/

_Dash sat in the Library. Twilight had said she would be back tonight, and that she had learned a spell that might help them locate Alex._

_He had only been gone two weeks, but it felt like an eternity at this point._

_Hearing some sparks behind her, Dash turned around as Twilight appeared, with a saddlebag filled with scrolls._

_"Twilight!" Dash said, running to her, "Well? What did you find?"_

_Composing herself, Twilight opened up her saddlebag, and lifted a book out of it._

_"Since nothing else was working, I decided to try and find something a bit more… extreme." Twilight explained._

_"What do you mean, 'extreme?'" Dash asked._

_"Well… I found a few spells referencing time travel," Twilight explained, "A few of them would allow me to travel back for a few seconds… But apparently, they can have some pretty serious consequences if used improperly… So, after a bit more digging, I found another one. One that might work."_

_"And…?" Dash asked, feeling her heart pounding._

_"I found a spell that will let the two of us go back. But, we won't be able to change anything." Twilight said, "We'll be able to watch passed events, which we can use to find out what happened to him."_

_"It's better than nothing!" Dash smiled._

_"I've been preparing for the last few hours in Canterlot…" Twilight said, "I figured you'd want to go immediately."_

_"You know me too well!" Dash said, standing in front of Twilight. "Let's do this."_

_Twilight nodded, and then started concentrating._

_Dash watched as Twilight's horn started to glow, before a small bubble appeared on the very tip of it._

_The bubble expanded quickly, enveloping both of them._

_"Get ready," Twilight said, casting another spell. "The scroll said that this part can be a bit nauseating."_

_Suddenly, everything on the outside of the sphere started to rewind rapidly. Twilight and Dash watched events they had done days before in reverse, as they traveled further back._

_"I see what you mean…" Dash said, closing her eyes. "Tell me when it's over."_

_Twilight several things happen again. She saw herself leaving for Canterlot, then she saw herself reading books in the library… She wanted to close her eyes too, but didn't want to miss the time they were looking for._

_After a few minutes, Twilight finally rewound to the night Alex hadn't come home. Slowing down the rewind, she fine-tuned it to a few minutes before he had finished his snow spreading job._

_"Alright, Rainbow." Twilight said, as the bubble faded. "Applejack said that she saw him finish his job, then head home. So let's try to find him."_

_Opening her eyes Dash nodded, and then followed Twilight, passing the past version of herself, who was still waiting anxiously for Alex to return._

_"If only she knew…" Dash said to herself, as the two of them headed out of the library._

_Following behind Twilight, they headed down the path, in the opposite direction that Alex would have taken, so they would bump into him._

_Looking forward, Dash felt her heart leap as she saw the past version of Alex walking toward them_

_"There he is!" Dash said, pointing toward him._

_The two stood in place, and allowed Alex to pass them._

_"Now, all we have to do is follow him." Twilight said. "We'll see what happened soon."_

_Just seeing him here made Dash feel a little better. He may not be able to see her, but she was able to see him._

_Following Alex, they walked back toward the library._

_Finally, after a few minutes, they arrived back at his destination._

_"He made it this far?" Twilight said in surprise. "What could have possibly happened to him, between here and the library?"_

_As if on cue, a blinding white light enveloped Alex. Then, after a moment, the light completely disappeared, leaving only a scorch mark, where the snow and grass used to be._

_Dash and Twilight were stunned. Neither had expected Alex to be suddenly burned in a ball of energy._

_"W-what happened?!" Dash stammered._

_"I… Don't know…" Twilight said, slack jawed._

_"So…" Dash said slowly, "He was just… teleported somewhere, right?"_

_Twilight remained silent._

_"That must have been a spell or something!" Dash said, panicking. "You recognize that one, right?"_

_Again, Twilight was silent._

_"Well?!" Dash shouted._

_"I don't know of ANYTHING that looks like that." Twilight confessed. "If he was being teleported or something… I would recognize the magic… That was something else entirely."_

_"What then?" Dash asked, her voice cracking severely. "He's just… Gone?"_

_"We… We don't know that." Twilight said slowly, still stunned. "Something else could have happened to him…"_

_"Like what?" Dash shouted, "Tell me that you're confidant that he's still alive!"_

_Twilight sighed, "I can't say that…"_

_The silence between the two was thick. Trying to move things along, Twilight recreated the bubble they had been in before, and fast-forwarded time._

_Dash was vaguely aware of her return to the present, but hardly cared. One thing kept repeating in her mind._

_Alex was gone._

_He wasn't coming back._

_Tears started to fill her eyes. She was happier being ignorant._

_But now, she knew, and there was nothing she could do about it._

/-/

Feeling her face pressed up against something wet, Dash opened her eyes, and saw that her pillow was moist with tears… Something that had happened on more than one occasion.

Flipping the pillow over to the dry side, Dash dried her tears on her blanket, and then put her head back down.

"Why did you have to leave, Spot?" Dash sighed, closing her eyes, forcing a few more tears out. "We were just getting started…"

That nickname he had given her, he had never used anything BUT that when talking to her. He hadn't once called her Rainbow Dash. She had realized this a few months ago, and had dwelled on it more than she should have. She would give anything to hear him just say her name…

"Dash!" Spitfire shouted from outside her door. "We need you out on the field so we can go over the ceremony proceedings."

Sighing, Dash rolled out of bed, and headed out. At least this would clear her mind for a little bit.

/

Alex, Spike, and Ramsley had been talking about their plan to reach Rainbow Dash, for a while at this point, but really didn't have much.

"How about this!" Alex suggested, "We go up that building over there, and we toss a paper airplane with something written on it down, INTO the stadium."

Spike and Ramsley looked toward the building that Alex was gesturing too, and then back to him.

"You're… Joking, right?" Spike asked.

"Well… I can't think of anything else…" Alex sighed.

"Why don't we head back to the mansion, and we can take a break from all of this brainstorming." Ramsley said, "Worst case scenario, you just talk to your friend tomorrow night, at the party."

Alex sighed, "Yeah, I guess."

"I know you miss her, Alex," Spike said, "But either way, we're going to see her tomorrow. Why don't we just relax until then?"

"I just… want to try everything possible." Alex admintted.

"Well, if it'll make you feel better, we can go try your paper airplane plan." Spike said, laughing. "Who knows, maybe it'll work!"

"Thanks." Alex smiled.

"Well, you two enjoy yourselves," Ramsley said, "I'll be heading back."

"Okay," Spike said, "Thanks for lunch!"

"Anything for a house guest." Ramsley said, bowing his head to them, before heading back home.

"You ready to go?" Spike asked.

"You bet!" Alex said determinedly. "Let's do it."

/

Alex and Spike had headed to the large building overlooking the stadium, and headed to the roof. Luckily, the building was open to the public, so access wasn't an issue.

Finishing their long trek up the staircase, Alex and Spike walked through the doors, and were pleasantly surprised to see a whole observation area, outfitted with several mounted binoculars, that allowed anypony to see the entire area around the building, which included the training area below them.

"How big is the barrier?" Alex asked, seeing the magic barrier extend well beyond the back of the stadium, toward some distant buildings.

"Huge…" Spike said, "Anyway, let's use these binoculars to look into the stadium."

"They sure are convenient!" Alex laughed, walking toward the nearest pair, and adjusting it downward. "I wonder what's happening down there right now…"

Spike watched Alex press his eyes into the binoculars, and found himself extremely curious. "What do you see?" Spike said, walking beside Alex.

"I see… a lot of little dots that are standing in a line…" Alex answered, feeling for a zoom toggle.

"Here," Spike said, flipping a switch on the site of Alex's binoculars, zooming them in. "What now?"

"Much better!" Alex said happily, scanning the field below him, "I… I think I see her!"

"Really?!" Spike asked, walking to his own pair, and flipping the zoom switc. "Hey, I do too!"

Alex found himself uncontrollably smiling. It was great to see her again.

"Why are they just standing like that?" Spike asked, "Oh wait, one of them is moving!"

The two watched the pony step forward, bow his head, and then step back in line.

This happened with every pony down the line, until it finally ended with Dash, who was standing on the far side of the line.

"We should probably do this now, while she's here." Spike said, grabbing a piece of paper out of his bag, along with quill and some ink.

Alex kept his eyes focused on her, as Spike quickly wrote out the note.

"Okay!" Spike said, pushing the paper toward Alex, "Do your thing!"

Pulling his eyes away from the binoculars, Alex levitated the paper off the ground, and folded it into a paper airplane.

"What did you write?" Alex asked, as he levitated the quill and wrote, 'read me' on the wings.

"I wrote: 'Alex is back, you have to come home. –Spike'" Spike said.

"Perfect." Alex smiled, "Now… Let's just hope that I can make this throw…"

"Can't you just levitate it down to her?" Spike asked.

"I can't," Alex said, "There's an anti-magic barrier around that place. I even if I could levitate it that far… I would only get a quarter of the way, and then I'd lose it."

"Oh, well, why not try something that will drop straight down to her?" Spike asked again.

"We're not right above the stadium," Alex explained, "I'd have to levitate it out, and THEN drop it. But, at this height, who knows who'd get hit, right?"

Spike though again, "How about flying right in?"

"I can only glide," Alex explained, "I could slowly circle around until I landed, but I'm pretty sure Jango would teleport me away before I got to the ground. If only I could gun straight down…"

"Well, I'm sure Rainbow will be happy to finish teaching you when we get her back." Spike said.

Alex nodded, as he prepared his paper airplane for the throw.

Walking to the very edge of the building, Alex gauged the distance, the wind, and the drop of his plane.

Luckily, he was an expert with this paper airplane. He had spent many school days torturing substitute teachers with them. Unfortunately, the distance to the stadium was much greater than the distance to the whiteboard at the front of the class.

"Okay…" Alex said, squinting, "Cross your finger—Uh… Hoofs."

Then, as best as he could manage, Alex tossed the plane into the air, and off the side of the building.

Spike quickly moved back to the binoculars, and looked into them.

"Do you see it?" Alex asked, trying his best to keep track of it, "I'm losing it here."

Toggling the zoom, Spike was able to see the plane headed straight downward, at what seemed like the perfect spot. "I think… I think it's good!"

Hearing this, Alex ran to his pair of binoculars, and anxiously watched. Alex could feel his heart pound as he followed his message on its path downward. The moment became more intense as Alex saw the other ponies start to disperse.

"Don't move!" Alex shouted, knowing full well that she couldn't hear him.

Finally, the paper airplane came down, to the ground, and flew right into Dash's nose.

"Yes!" Alex cheered, "I can't believe it! I love living in a cartoon world where everything just… works!"

/

Dash stood in place, the practice for the selection ceremony had just ended, and she was now free to go.

Trying to decide whether she should go for something to eat, or back to bed, Dash was interrupted when she was poked in the nose by a paper airplane.

"What's this…?" Dash said, looking downward. "Read me..?"

Delicately placing one of her hoofs on the paper, she gently unfolded it with her mouth, until the paper was back to its original shape, as a flat sheet.

"Aiet is… beck?" Dash read, completely lost, "Yuu havf to… Com hoom.. Spyte?"

Trying her best to decipher the poorly written text, Dash found herself unable to come up with anything.

"What'cha readin', there, Dashie?" A voice said from behind her.

Dash closed her eyes and prayed that he wasn't standing behind her again.

"It's a… piece of paper with some scribbling on it." Dash said, "That's all."

"Well, I guess I should clean that up." Cuddly said.

"Um, you definitely should!" Dash said, heading for the change rooms quickly, "Don't let me get in the way!"

Smiling, Cuddly watched Dash for a few minutes, before returning to his loitering, leaving the paper on the ground.

Dash shivered as she closed the door behind her. That pony gave her the creeps.

/

"Wha—What happened?" Alex stuttered, "It looked like she was having trouble reading it!"

"Oh…" Spike said, "Maybe I shouldn't have written that with my mouth… I'm not really good at that yet…"

"That… That is exactly how it would happen in a cartoon…" Alex sighed, understanding the duality of it all.

"I still don't know what you mean by that." Spike said.

"That's fine…" Alex sighed, "Let's head back…"

"You can't do anything else?" Spike asked, "Can't you cast some big spell to get her attention?"

"I could… But I don't know enough to spell 'I am alive' or something like that," Alex explained, "I could make a big explosion, and then those thugs would chase after us."

"Well, you always have tomorrow, right?" Spike asked.

"Yeah," Alex said, lightening up a bit. "We'll finish this tomorrow night."

/

Comet casually walked onto the field, to where Dash had been sanding.

She had seen Dash reading a piece of something off the ground. At first, she thought that a newspaper had blown in from the outside. But, as she got closer to it, she quickly recognized it as a piece of paper.

Approaching it, Comet examined it closely.

"Alet…?" Comet said, tilting her head. "Or maybe it's… Alex!"

Glancing upward, Comet narrowed her eyes. It had come from the overlooking building. Obviously, their attempt at getting her attention had failed, but now she knew that they would continue trying. Something would have to be done about that.

/

Alex and Spike arrived back at the Oranges estate, and were greeted by Ramsley.

"How did your plan fare?" Ramsley asked the two.

"It didn't." Spike said.

"What a surprise." Ramsley said sarcastically, "And I was so hopeful."

"I think I'm going to turn in early tonight…" Alex sighed. "I'm still a bit thrown after my whole 'time travel' experience."

"Well, if you wish," Ramsley said, "Please inform me if you need anything. I'll be just down here."

"Thanks," Alex said, heading up the staircase. "I'll see you two in the morning."

"Well then," Spike said, turning to Ramsley, "Wanna play a game?"

Cocking an eyebrow, Ramsley took another look at Spike's outfit. "Perhaps we should play, 'wash your sweater.' It's gathering stains."

"I told Rarity that I wouldn't take it off, so I'm not!" Spike huffed.

"Very well, Master Spike." Ramsley sighed.

"Master…?" Spike repeated, "I like the sound of that!"

"Of course you do." Ramsley said, rolling his eyes.

/

Alex crawled into his bed, and pulled the covers over his body. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. He was going to go and see Dash, and he was going to take her home.

Thinking over the time he had spent with her, he couldn't help but laugh. Their whole relationship had started with him forgetting her name, after the battle with Night Mare Moon.

But, eventually, he proved himself to be a good guy, when he exposed that griffon for what she really was.

After that, they sat together, and had a real conversation… And they made pet names for one another.

Colors, and Spot.

Smiling, Alex closed his eyes.

Too much was at stake for anything to go wrong tomorrow. But, somehow, he knew that it wasn't going to be as easy as just walking in, and leaving with her. But, easy or not, he needed sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big one.

So, closing his eyes, Alex drifted off to sleep.  
/

The girls lined up at the Ponyville train station, equipped with saddlebags, briefcases, and a party cannon.

Winter had been wrapped up successfully, and even though there had been some hiccups, it had been a rewarding experience for everypony.

"Is everypony sure that they're ready?" Twilight asked her friends.

"Yes ma'am!" Applejack said.

"Mhmm." Rarity smiled.

"I sure hope so…" Fluttershy said.

"I brought everything I could carry!" Pinkie said, wheeling her party cannon in front of her.

"Great!" Twilight said, "I can't wait to see Rainbow!"

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack agreed, "I've missed that girl!"

"Alex wasn't able to reach her, then?" Rarity asked.

"No, they were stopped by security." Twilight explained. "Spike wrote me saying that the party was their best bet to see her."

"Well, at least we aren't going to miss the big moment!" Pinkie said, smiling.

"Big moment?" Twilight asked.

"Duh!" Pinkie said, "When they kiss!"

"Uh... Kiss?" Applejack asked.

"When they see each other, what do you think is going to happen?" Pinkie asked.

"Well, I never thought about it…" Twilight said slowly.

"You ponies haven't been excited for it?" Pinkie asked in disbelief.

"I have…" Fluttershy spoke up.

"I suppose I have as well." Rarity said.

"Do you think it's going to be cute?" Pinkie asked the two.

"If you mean romantic, then I do hope so." Rarity said. "I just hope that he doesn't ask Spike for advice on romance. That pony hasn't got a clue!"

The girls all giggled as the train pulled up.

"I guess we should head in." Twilight said, levitating her bags.

The girls all filed in, until Twilight was the last one outside.

Taking one last look around before entering the train, Twilight couldn't help but remember when Dash had left. She had tried so hard to stop her… If only they had known that Alex wasn't dead.

/-/

_"Rainbow!" Twilight called, running after the Pegasus. "What are you doing?"_

_Dash remained silent, as she headed toward the train station, with a couple of fully packed bags on her back._

_"Are… You leaving?" Twilight asked, pulling up beside her._

_"…Yes." Dash said simply, continuing forward._

_"But, what about everypony here?" Twilight asked, "You're not even gonna say goodbye?"_

_"Look, Twilight." Dash said, "I just…. I can't stay here anymore."_

_Twilight frowned. She knew that Dash was still completely devastated over Alex's extremely sudden disappearance, but she didn't think it was so bad that she was going to leave her friends behind for it._

_"Where are you going to go?" Twilight asked, "Just, hop a train to Manehattan?_

_"There's on open tryout for the Wonderbolts being held tomorrow," Dash explained, "I'm going out for it."_

_"But… What about us?" Twilight asked, "Aren't you taking this a bit far…?"_

_"No, Twilight!" Dash shouted suddenly, stopping in place, "I'm not!"_

_Twilight took a step back in surprise._

_"I've never been a girly pony," Dash said, "But… He made me want to be!"_

_Twilight just stood and listened._

_"Every place in this town, reminds me of him, in one way or another…" Dash explained, "And every time I'm reminded of him, I think about all the stuff that'll never happen between us!"_

_Twilight hadn't thought that her infatuation with Alex was so strong._

_"I thought those feelings would go away with time, but it isn't getting any weaker." Dash said, "So… I just need to get out of here for a while."_

_"We both know that getting accepted mean a lot longer than 'a little while'" Twilight said, "You can't just go and do this! When is the next time we'd even see you?"_

_Dash sighed._

_"We both know that you'll regret this decision!" Twilight said, watching Dash step on to the platform and head toward the open train. "You know that… right?"_

_Dash stopped and looked down to the ground._

_"This is my dream Twilight." Dash said, "And if he's gone, that's all I have left to focus on."_

_"But—"_

_"Tell everypony that I'm sorry, Twilight," Dash said, "I just can't stay here right now."_

/-/

Alex lay in bed, and was trying to sleep, but was being kept up by some talking that he could hear.

"I… Don't want to hurt you."

Alex opened his eyes, and was confused when he saw that he wasn't in the mansion anymore. He was back in the Doctors ship. And weirder still, Alex was staring at another version of himself.

"I'm only thinking of your safety, Doctor."

Slowly, Alex started to realize that this must have been what happened after he passed out on the Doctor's Ship, the night he was warped three months into the future. Discord must have taken control of him… At least, that was the best explanation he could come up with.

"I can't have you hurting my lesser half," Alex said to the Doctor, lifting him off of the floor with some kind of spell, "I need that goody-two shoes alive."

"Goody-two shoes?" Alex said, "Does he mean… me?"

"Who are you?" The Doctor croaked, "Where did you come from?"

"You can call me… Dax."

/

Alex sat up suddenly, panting heavily.

"Did all of that happen?" Alex said out loud. "Maybe it was all just a dream…"

No. That was way too real.

"Mayb—"

"Alex!" Spike shouted, knocking on the door, "I think you slept in!"

Looking at the clock, Alex saw that it read 9:00. How did a 5 minute dream, translate to hours and hours of sleep?

Alex sighed and crawled out of bed. "At least I'm caught up on my sleep now…"

/

"So, how long do we have until this party, again?" Spike asked, between the bites of his oats. "We don't wanna be late."

"The party starts at 7," Alex explained. "So, that gives us ten hours."

"What can we do in the meantime?" Spike asked.

"Well, we should put some time aside later, so we can get ready… But that still leaves us with plenty of time to kill," Alex said, "So, I guess we could go site seeing."

"Awesome!" Spike said, quickly downing the rest of his breakfast, spilling some on his already dirty sweater. "Let's go!"

"Hold up," Alex said, "Where are we even going?"

"Well… We could go to the Empire Stable Building." Spike suggested.

"Stable, huh? I wonder why they named it THAT." Alex asked sarcastically.

"Because it's really sturdy!" Spike answered.

"…Really?" Alex asked, "That's just… Bad."

"Why?" Spike asked.

"Um, never mind." Alex dismissed. "Let's go!"

"Awesome!" Spike said.

"Since all the snow is melted now, maybe you should take off the sweater before we go." Alex suggested, hoping that Spike would take the hint.

"No way!" Spike said, "This is staying on at all times, to fend off girls!"

Alex sighed. "Well, I'm sure it'll do a great job."

/

"Jango! Tulip!" Comet called, "Get your rumps in here!"

Quickly walking in to the office, Jango and Tulip presented themselves to their boss.

"Are you two aware that Alex was trying to reach Rainbow Dash yesterday?" Comet asked, earning a panicked look from Jango.

"W- When did this happen?" Jango asked. "Did Tulip screw up again?"

"No. It happened during the practice last night." Comet explained. "From the overlook."

"Well… How could we have possibly—" Jango started.

"I don't want to hear excuses!" Comet shouted. "I don't care how you do it; I don't want anypony trying that stunt again."

"Fine," Jango sighed. "Consider it done."

"Good. Now, I need you two to do one more thing for me," Comet said simply, "I need you two to make sure that Alex and his friend don't make it inside for the party tonight."

"Of course," Jango said, "Should we keep all of her guests out?"

Comet thought for a moment, and realized just how good that would be for her.

"Yes, we can't risk anypony else telling her about her coltfriend coming back…" Comet answered, "Besides, if nopony shows up, her resolve for becoming a Wonderbolt will be even stronger."

"Whatever you say, ma'am." Jango said, "Also, if anypony tries to push past us, do I have permission to sick Meat Head on 'em?"

"I'd be worried if you didn't." Comet laughed, "Anyways, go get ready for tonight. I'm sure that you two will have your hoofs full with upset ponies."

"Hopefully I won't have to do ALL the work this time." Jango said, glaring at Tulip.

Tulip didn't respond, his eye simply twitched for a moment.

Comet frowned as the two exited her office. He scared her a little.

/

Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity had just gotten off the train, and were headed into the city, as they started to discuss what was next on the agenda.

"Where should we head first?" Applejack asked the girls, as they walked away from the train station.

"There are a few stores I wouldn't mind visiting." Rarity suggested, looking around, at the various tall buildings.

"I think the Mare of Liberty would be nice to see." Fluttershy said, marveled by the large amount of ponies that populated the streets.

"Shouldn't we meet up with Alex and Spike?" Twilight asked, "We could kill the time together."

"And have them ruin all the fun?" Rarity asked, "I think we would enjoy ourselves much more, if we kept this a GIRLS day."

Twilight kinda liked the sound of that, but was still bit worried about the whole situation.

"Wouldn't it be better if we had a girls day AFTER we get Rainbow back?" Twilight asked.

"I think Twi's right," Applejack said, "We should be workin' first, and playin' later."

"I suppose you're right," Rarity said.

"Shouldn' you be excited to see Spike anyways?" Applejack asked.

"Of course I am!" Rarity defended. "However, I'd like the opportunity to buy something nice for myself, so I'll look my best for him, the next time he takes me out."

"Uh, Rarity," Applejack started, "Spike wouldn't care if you were covered in garbage."

Fluttershy nodded.

"Neither would I!" Pinkie added.

"That's not the point at all!" Rarity said, "A stallion like him, deserves a gorgeous mare at his side."

Twilight stayed quiet during this conversation. Rarity talking about Spike in this manner was still a little odd for her.

She had only just gotten used to Spike being a pony. She had acted fine in the beginning… But it wasn't until she talked to Princess Celestia about it that she finally started to allow herself to start getting used to it.

/-/

_Twilight paced nervously back and forth in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. She hadn't told the Princess that she was coming, as she had decided to show up on a whim._

_Spike had been transformed into a pony a day ago, and was still rapidly adjusting to the changes it presented him with. Twilight had constantly asked him if he was sure about staying this way, and had always received a 'yes' from him. Secretly, she had been hoping that he would want to change back to a dragon, but hadn't had any luck in that department yet. She knew that Princess Celestia would have to be told, so she decided to tell her in person, and use the face time to ask her opinion on the whole situation._

_Still, Twilight couldn't help but worry that Celestia would be upset with her, for not wishing Spike the best with his new form._

_"Twilight?" Princess Celestia said from the entrance, surprised to see her student in the throne room. "What's brought you here?"_

_"Well… It's kinda complicated…" Twilight said, trying to collect her thoughts._

_"You're clearly troubled, Twilight." Princess Celestia said, walking toward her. "What's the matter?"_

_Twilight sighed, and tried to think of a reasonable way to explain the situation. However, no matter what way she looked at it, she always came to the same thing._

_"Spike was turned into a pony…" Twilight sighed, earning a shocked look from her mentor that she had never seen before._

_"Do… Do you know how this happened?" Celestia asked, recomposing herself._

_"Apparently, it was caused by a flower called, 'Heart's Desire' the Spike had." Twilight explained, "Last night, a common wish between Rarity and Spike unlocked the plants full potential, and it grated it for them."_

_"I've heard of it," Celestia said, "How did Spike come to possess such a thing?"_

_"A zebra living within the Everfree forest named Zecora." Twilight explained, "Spike took it while her back was turned."_

_"Spike took it?" Celestia asked, surprised, "He wouldn't have taken it without a good reason, Twilight."_

_"Which brings us to his transformation." Twilight sighed._

_"So, Spike has transformed into a pony, and you're not happy that he did." Celestia said, "Twilight, that's completely understandable."_

_"It is?" Twilight asked, "It's not… Mean?"_

_"Of course not," Celestia said, relaxing Twilight, "Even I'm a bit unsure with this change of his."_

_"You are?!" Twilight asked, shocked that Celestia was feeling the same as her._

_"I've watched Spike grow up, Twilight," Celestia explained, "It's never easy to watch someone you care about change… I'm sure that this is especially true for you."_

_Twilight nodded. "I… I want him to change back."_

_"I'm sure that you do," Celestia said softly, "But we have to take his feelings into account."_

_"I know…" Twilight sighed._

_"If this transformation was granted by a wish that he had, then we need to let him experience this for himself." Celestia said._

_"You're right." Twilight said, till unsatisfied._

_"If this is what he needs to attain happiness, who are we to stop him?" Celestia asked._

_"I just… Feel like I'm losing a member of my family, and he's being replaced by this strange new pony…" Twilight admitted._

_"I'm sure that Spike will always be Spike," Celestia reassured, "For instance, when was the last time he asked to have ice cream for breakfast?"_

_"…This morning." Twilight said slowly. "He told me that he needed to 'experience it as a pony.'"_

_Celestia simply raised an eyebrow and smiled._

_"You're right…" Twilight admitted "Maybe I should give this some time."_

_"Wonderful," Celestia smiled, "Now, tell me all about Spike and Rarity!"_

_Twilight smiled, Princess Celestia may have been one of the rulers of this land, but she loved a good story. And this sudden relationship between Spike and Rarity was the kind to pique her interest._

_"I don't know all that much," Twilight admitted, earning a slightly dejected look from the Princess, "But I know that they've kissed."_

_"I always knew that Spike would find himself somepony wonderful," Celestia said, "I just didn't think he was going to be experiencing it so soon."_

_"Me neither, Princess." Twilight laughed, "Me neither…"_

/-/

Twilight was snapped out of her flashback when she heard Rarity ask where Alex and Spike had been staying.

"At my Aunt an' Uncle Oranges house," Applejack answered. "It's not too far from here."

"Well, I suppose that we should head over there, and try to collect them." Rarity said, still a little sad that she had lost her shopping day.

"We're going to meet Applejacks family?" Pinkie asked, "Oh! Can we go see my family afterwards?"

"You have family here?" Twilight asked.

"Yesirie!" Pinkie smiled, "My Uncle Pie!"

"Well… When we're all done, reuniting Alex and Dash, it'll be on the list." Twilight said.

"Awesome!" Pinkie beamed. "He'll be so excited to see me!"

"I'm sure he will be." Twilight laughed.

"And we're not goin' to meet any of my kin," Applejack spoke up, "Only pony there is their butler Ramsley."

"A butler, you say?" Rarity asked, "This trip may turn out better than I thought."

The girls all laughed as they headed toward their next destination, The Orange residence.

/

Alex and Spike walked away from the Filly Island Ferry. So far, they had eaten breakfast, gone to the Stable Building, stopped at a few museums, eaten a late lunch, gone on the ferry, seen the Mare of Liberty from it. And through all of that, Spike had only fallen asleep once.

But, now they were now headed home, to meet the girls and get ready for the party.

"That statue was so much taller than I thought it would be!" Spike said, "I can't believe that you got seasick though!"

"This pony is meant to stay on the ground." Alex defended. "Besides… Did you feel the violent rocking?"

"That boat was totally still!" Spike laughed. "Besides, couldn't you just use magic to make yourself feel better?"

"I cannot." Alex laughed. "Nothing would have stopped me from ralphing."

Spike laughed for a moment, before moving onward. "Do you know the way home from here?"

"Well…" Alex said, levitating the map out of Spikes bag, and opening it up, "It looks like we'll have to turn left after a few blocks… But after that, it's a straight walk."

"Well then, let's get going!" Spike smiled, heading off in the direction Alex had indicated.

Following the road for a few blocks, the two turned left, and entered an area filled with upper class clothing stores. And, after passing a few shops, Alex got an idea.

"Hey Spike…" Alex said slowly, "What do you think of stopping on the way back?"

"What do you mean…?" Spike asked.

Alex simply pointed at some mannequins.

"You want to get dressed up?" Spike asked. "Why?"

"Girls love dapper ponies, Spike." Alex explained. "Don't you think Rarity will love attending that party if you're in a tuxedo?"

It didn't take much thought for Spike to come to a conclusion.

"Let's do it!" Spike agreed, reaching into his saddlebag, and pulling out a massive bag of bits, "It's a good thing that Princess Celestia gives Twilight such a large per diem! She had plenty to give us."

"Well, knowing the price of this stuff… We might be spending it all…" Alex said, looking through various windows.

Walking down the street, Alex window shopped for the kind of tuxedo that he thought would work best for the occasion. And, after a few minutes of searching, something caught his eye.

"Oh yes." Alex grinned, "That will do nicely."

/

The girls all sat in the living room of the Oranges residence. Ramsley had shown them in a few hours ago, and had been waiting on them the entire time.

"I sure hope that Alex and Spike get back soon." Twilight said, "They're cutting it a bit close."

"Alex cares for her, Twilight." Rarity said, "He won't be late."

"Darn' tootin'!" Applejack agreed.

"Yeah," Twilight said, "I guess so."

"Would anypony like more tea?" Ramsley asked, stepping into the room.

"Yes please!" Rarity said, levitating her cup to his teapot.

"So, you're the one that Master Spike has been wearing on his sweater?" Ramsley asked her.

"Yes, that's correct." Rarity said.

"He is quite taken with you," Ramsley continued, "Last night; he couldn't seem to stop talking about you."

"You two were talking about me?" Rarity asked, curious about what kind of conversation Ramsley and Spike would even have.

"Oh, the two of us weren't talking," Ramsley explained, "Master Spike was talking, while I tidied the house."

Rarity blushed lightly, "What exactly did he say?"

"I believe the better question is, 'what didn't he say?'" Ramsley smiled, "Once he started, he didn't stop. I almost regretted bringing you up."

"How did you bring it up?" Twilight asked, very engaged in the conversation they were having.

"Well, I was asking him about his sweater, and whether or not he was going to take it off." Ramsley explained. "Of course, he fell asleep halfway through a sentence."

"Wait a moment…" Rarity asked, "What was wrong with the sweater?"

Ramsley paused for a moment. He really didn't want to answer that question. "Well… You see—"

"We're back!" Alex called from the front door, as he and Spike walked in.

"Ah, well!" Ramsley said quickly, happy to be interrupted, "I'd better get something prepared for them to eat!"

Walking from the entranceway, into the living room, Alex placed a large number of bags that he had been levitating, on to the floor.

"Spike!" Rarity said, standing up and walking toward him, "What's in all the—"

Suddenly, her expression was a very serious one.

"Spike." Rarity said, "What is wrong with the sweater I made you?"

"Golly… That ain't pretty!" Applejack gasped, looking at the gross sweater.

"Told you." Alex whispered in Spikes ear. "You should have listened to me a few minutes ago."

"Whatever…" Spike grumbled. As he thought back to the warning Alex had given him, a few minutes before.

/-/

_Walking up to the Orange Mansion, Alex stopped Spike before he entered the front door._

_"You should probably take that sweater off," Alex suggested, "Rarity might be here by now."_

_"Na." Spike said.  
_  
/-/

"Well, Spike?" Rarity asked, yanking him out of his lengthy flashback.

"What?" Spike defended, "It's just a bit dirty!"

"Spike, a drop of grape juice is a bit dirty." Rarity said, gesturing to the large amount of stains on his clothing, "This is filthy!"

"But—" Spike tried to start.

"Even my face has been covered in… What is that?" Rarity asked, "A large grease stain?"

"I just—" Spike tried again.

"Have you even taken this off once?" Rarity asked, annoyed, "I expected better of you, Spike!"

"But… I promised you that I wouldn't take it off…" Spike said dejectedly, avoiding eye contact with her.

"Spike… I didn't expect you to keep such a promise." Rarity said, softening her voice, "Especially when it comes to something like this!"

"I'm sorry," Spike said, looking back up to her, "And, to be honest… I probably would have taken it off sooner, but it was REALLY warm."

Giggling, Rarity stepped away from Spike, and levitated the sweater off of him.

Tossing the sweater into a nearby laundry bin, Rarity then motioned to check out some of the bags that that Alex had carried in with them.

"Nope!" Alex said quickly, levitating the bags away from Rarity, "Those are a surprise."

"Oh yeah!" Spike said, "I almost forgot!"

"What kind of surprise?" Fluttershy asked, just as curious as everypony else.

"Is it the kind of surprise that I can eat?" Pinkie asked, "Or is it the kind of surprise that I can swim in to?"

"Uh… Neither?" Alex said, not even attempting to understand her.

"Are you sure it's a surprise then?" Pinkie asked with a very confused look on her face.

"Yes, I'm sure." Alex laughed.

"Can this surprise wait?" Twilight asked, glancing at the clock. "The party starts in an hour."

"Don't worry," Alex said, "You guys just go get ready. Let me and Spike do our thing."

"I hope it's worth it." Applejack said.

Alex and Spike quickly exited the room with all their bags, leaving the girls all wondering what they would see next.

/

The girls all stood at the front door, and were now waiting on the boys.

"How does is it taking them so long?" Twilight asked.

"Well, perhaps they're taking longer for once." Rarity laughed. "Celestia knows that I've kept Spike waiting before."

"But this party isn't a formal one." Twilight said, "They shouldn't take any time at all!"

"Maybe they fell asleep!" Pinkie said, "Should I go check?"

"That won't be necessary." Spike said, turning all eyes to the top of the steps.

"Oh my!" Rarity said breathlessly upon seeing Spike.

Alex and Spike stood at the top of the stairs, both dressed in full tuxedos. Spike wore a full black, single breasted suit jacket, with a matching black dress shirt underneath. The only thing that deviated from the complete black of his outfit was his bowtie, which was white. His normally messy hair was combed to the side, and lightly gelled down.

Alex wore the exact opposite, and had on a complete white tuxedo, with a black bowtie, that had a hole cut on either side for his wings. Originally, he had thought that his own white color would make the tuxedo less noticeable. However, the pure white color of the suit was different enough from his coat to be easily differentiated.

"How do we look?" Alex said smiling, knowing full well that he and Spike looked darn good.

"You look great!" Fluttershy said, surprising a few of the ponies. Quickly shrinking back, she changed her answer. "Yes… You, um… Look nice."

"I completely agree with Fluttershy!" Rarity said, "You two look simply dashing!"

"You two do clean up quite nicely." Ramsley admitted.

"You two are going to stick out like sore thumbs!" Twilight giggled, "Why would you dress up?"

"I think the question is, why WOULDN'T you?" Spike said.

"Spike is right!" Pinkie agreed, "We should have all dressed up!"

"I didn't bring anything…" Rarity said, "You won't mind if I don't dress up, will you Spike?"

"Of course not!" Spike said.

"You two are quite the pair," Ramsley chuckled.

"Just show him off, Rarity." Alex said smiling, "But, do you think that Dash will mind that I'm dressed this way?"

"She'll just be happy to see you alive," Twilight said.

"You're right, I could be naked and she wouldn't care!" Alex started laughing, before slowly stopping when nopony else joined him. "Oh… Right, you guys are always naked."

The girls looked at him, all giving the 'you don't know this world very well,' look.

"Well, naked or not," Applejack laughed nervously, "We've got to get goin' pretty quick, here!"

"Yeah," Twilight agreed, "We don't want to be late."

"Wait!" Pinkie said quickly, "I thought you said that I COULDN'T swim in the surprise!"

The group was silent.

"Well… let's get going!" Alex said, trying his best to ignore her comment. "I have some colors to see."

/

Saying goodbye to Ramsley, the group headed from the mansion, to the party.

"What are you gonna say to her?" Pinkie asked Alex.

"I don't really know…" Alex said, "It hasn't been all that long since I saw her last."

"Well, I'm sure she'll have plenty to say to you." Twilight said, "You took the short road. She was stuck taking the long one."

"I really do feel terrible…" Alex said, "I'll make up our lost time, somehow."

"About that..." Twilight said. "You still haven't explained what happened to you."

"I know." Alex said, "But let's just finish this, and I promise, I'll tell you everything."

"Right." Twilight said, "Let's just get Rainbow back."

"Yeah!" Pinkie shouted.

/

"We're here!" Applejack announced, as the group walked up to the stadium.

Alex could feel his heart start to race. This was it. He was going to see her again… Just as long as nothing went wrong.

Walking up the stone steps, the group reached the front doors. Inside, they could clearly see several ponies heading through the lobby, and out to the field, where the trainees were all waiting.

Walking inside, Alex kept his eyes open for the two ponies he had already encountered, Jango and Tulip.

"We should hurry," Alex said, "Before those two henchponies notice us comin—"

"Alex, buddy!" Jango said, stepping beside him. "How long has it been?"

"Look… We're just here to see Rainbow Dash." Alex said.

"You know I can't let you do that." Jango said.

"Excuse me?" Twilight asked, "You can't LET us?"

"I'm afraid not," Jango said, "Boss told me to keep you and your friends out."

"I may not be able to cast any magic," Alex said, "But I feel like we could take you in a fight."

"All of you could probably beat me senseless, but do you know who you couldn't beat?" Jango asked.

Suddenly, the very massive pony, Tulip, was standing on the other side of Alex.

"I could just start shouting my name." Alex said, "I'm sure that word would get to her about the crazy pony in the lobby screaming 'Alex.'"

"You would only get one syllable into that word, before Tulip would shut you up." Jango threatened. "Right big guy?"

Tulip was silent. He didn't really want to do this, but, it didn't look like he had a choice.

"He can hurt you." Jango said, glaring at Tulip.

"I figured that you say something along those lines." Alex sighed.

"Now, if you'd be so kind, as to leave." Jango said, gesturing toward the entrance.

Alex growled. "We'll find a way in here, regardless."

"I doubt that," Jango laughed, "Comet's so excited about your friend joining the team, that she's beefed up security ten-fold, just to keep YOU out!"

"So, you plan on using a bunch of hired muscle to keep me and my friends from a party?" Alex asked, shocked that Comet would go to such lengths to keep him out.

"Well, today and tomorrow." Jango said. "Just long enough for her sign with the team."

"She'll find out that I'm here." Alex said, "Even if I just have to pay somepony to come in here and tell her for me."

Jango frowned. Alex had a point. No matter what Comet did, whether it was blocking magic, or hiring muscle, she wouldn't be able to keep Alex out. He would find a way.

"Well, try whatever you like." Jango said. "We're locking the doors after you leave, so nopony is going to be telling her anything tonight."

Alex grunted then turned around. "Come on everypony, let's go."

"Just like that?" Rarity asked in disbelief. "If we all just ran, one of us might be able to reach her!"

"They have magic," Alex said, "We don't."

Twilight sighed, "He has a point."

"What are we going to do then?" Pinkie asked sadly.

"I don't know." Alex said, "But there are plenty of options, we'll get it done, no matter what."

Spike looked back at Tulip as him and Jango walked away. Something was up with that Pony…

"I wish there was somethin' we could do sooner…" Applejack sighed.

"Me too…" Fluttershy agreed.

"We'll think of something," Twilight said, "And we'll get her back."

/

Rainbow Dash stood in the field alone, and watched her fellow trainees talking with their family and friends.

Where were her friends?

"Dash!" Comet called, walking toward her from the arena. "What's up? Where are your friends?"

"I… I don't know." Dash said. "They told me they'd be here…"

"That's weird," Comet lied, "Are you sure that they know the right day?"

"You don't know my friend Twilight," Dash answered, "She'd never forget something this important."

"Well, is there any reason that she wouldn't come?" Comet asked, feigning concern.

"Well… We had a fight before I left, but from the letters she's written, I thought that we were past it!" Dash explained, "Maybe their train is late… I should go check."

"Oh, no!" Comet said quickly, "I'll check for you, alright? You don't want them to arrive while you're away, do you?"

"You'd do that?" Dash asked happily, "Thanks!"

"No problem Rainbow." Comet said, "You just hang around, I'll go find out for you."

"Alright," Dash smiled, "Let me know what you figure out!"

"Of course Dash," The Red pony said, "I'll get right on it."

Turning her back to Dash, Comet smirked, and walked away.

/

The group had arrived back at the Oranges estate, and had headed off to various places around the house. Alex had just sat down with Ramsley, in hopes that he could help come up with a solution to their problem.

"I'm sorry that your endeavor was a failure, yet again." Ramsley consoled the group of ponies.

"We're not out of the game yet." Alex said, "We just need to think of something that will get her attention… Something that will keep her from going through with the contract."

"Well, the big race is tomorrow, correct?" Ramsley asked.

"Yeah, but it's first thing in the morning." Alex answered.

"Hmm…" Ramsley thought, "Perhaps I could arrange for somepony to cast a spell in the sky big enough for her to see."

"You could do that?" Alex asked.

"Of course," Ramsley smiled, "I have a friend that could help me with that."

Alex thought for a moment. "Could they stop that from happening?"

"They could always tint the barrier surrounding the stadium," Ramsley replied, "Or… Have somepony write something bigger in front of it."

"Not that I guess…" Alex said, "How about an invisibility spell?"

"Wouldn't work beyond the barrier." Ramsley said.

"How about sending somepony in?" Alex asked

"Security will be on them long before they could tell her anything." Ramsley said.

"I guess so." Alex sighed.

"Could we take the barrier down somehow?" Alex asked.

"I'm afraid not." Ramsley answered, "Not unless you can find the unicorn casting it."

"And he's probably…" Alex started.

"In the stadium now." Ramsley finished.

Alex slammed his hoof down on the table in anger.

"This is ridiculous!" He shouted.

"Calm yourself." Ramsley asked politely. "Let's keep thinking."

Sighing, Alex went back to thinking. "So… what WON'T work?"

"Flying in, walking in, teleporting in, making a sign, sending somepony in… Hmmm." Ramsley said, earning a look from Alex.

"What?" Alex asked.

"Well, if you could send somepony in, what would the criteria be?" Ramsley asked.

"Somepony we trusted to get the job done… But that would have to be somepony that isn't associated with us to them." Alex explained. "But… Everypony was seen tonight. They'll know us."

"Well… Not ALL of us." Ramsley said, smiling.

"Wait, you mean… You?" Alex asked.

"As long as I don't run into the head guard, I think everything will be fine." Ramsley explained, "I think I could get to her before security roughed me up."

"You'd do that for us?" Alex asked.

"Well, the sooner you get your friend, the sooner I have the house to myself." Ramsley smiled.

"Of course." Alex laughed. "Alright, let's do it."

"Perhaps we should let the others know." Ramsley suggested.

"Right!" Alex said, "I'll grab them."

/

Normally, Dash didn't like standing in one place for too long, but right now, she didn't care. Right here, her friends would see her as soon as they walked out on to the field.

At first, she had been convinced that they would show up. However, as the hours passed, her hope started to fade. Eventually, the family and friends of the other trainees started to leave, until only a few stragglers were left.

"No friends yet?" Comet asked

"…No." Dash sighed sadly.

"Well… I checked the train schedule for you, and I looks like the train showed up on time this morning." Comet said, "And no ponies matching your friends' descriptions were on it."

Dash felt like she had been punched in the chest. Her friend didn't come?

"I'm truly sorry Dash." Comet said, "Look, why don't you come inside? We can talk about this over something to eat."

"I just… Wanna wait a few more minutes…" Dash said slowly, "Maybe they teleported here… Or Pinkie brought them in on one of her contraptions…"

"Your choice" Comet said. "Join me whenever you feel ready."

Dash was silent.

Comet simply turned her back and headed away. She felt a pang of guilt, but quickly pushed it from her mind. This was for the good of the team. Nothing else mattered right now.

/

"You're okay with doing that?" Twilight asked Ramsley.

"Of course!" Ramsley said again, "I've seen too much for it all to end sadly."

"That'd sure help a bunch!" Applejack said, smiling.

"You're a very selfless pony." Fluttershy complemented.

"You're quite sure that you could get to her?" Rarity asked.

"Of course." Ramsley answered. "I know that stadium like the back of my hoof."

"Nothing could possibly go wrong." Alex said.

"Why would you say that?!" Pinkie asked. "Now something IS going to go wrong!"

"Calm down Pinkie," Twilight said, "This is real life. Things don't just 'go wrong' in real life."

"Well, now that the plan is decided," Ramsley started, "What would everypony like for dinner?"

"Oh!" Spike said quickly, "You should go get some more of that Pizza!"

Ramsley looked around the room, and if seemed like everypony was on board with the idea.

"Well, I guess it's settled then," Ramsley said, "Everypony relax here, and I'll go out and pick up the food."

The group collectively thanked him as he headed out of the living room, toward the front door.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." Ramsley called, heading out the front door, and closing it behind him.

"I really like him," Alex said, "I need a butler like him."

"I agree!" Twilight smiled, "He'd be a huge help around the library."

Spike immediately turned to Twilight, "But… You have me, right?"

"Of course," Twilight said quickly, "He could never do a better job than Spike!"

"I don't know," Alex said, missing the fact that she was trying to cheer Spike up. "Spike is always screwing up—"

Alex was cut off as Rarity bonked him on the back of the head, making all the girls all start to laugh.

"With Rainbow Dash gone, somepony has to keep you in line!" Rarity said.

"Spike is great!" Alex said, smiling at Spike "He's just… the best at book stacking!"

Again, Alex was smacked on the side of the head.

Spike laughed, "Those magic hands that Twilight makes for me aren't quite the same, you know?"

"I need to work with those, myself." Alex said.

"Well, I can-" Spike began, before being cut off by a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" Twilight asked, "Ramsley wouldn't be back so soon…"

The group collectively got up, and watched as Alex approached the front door.

Looking out the peep hole, Alex was confused when he saw no one outside.

As soon as Alex opened the door, he grabbed by a levitation spell, that brought him off the ground.

Before anypony was able to do anything, the house was quickly filled with a large number of the henchponies that had been at the stadium.

Once the group filled the entrance way, Jango and Tulip entered the front door.

"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked angrily.

"Well, as your friend so politely told me, I wouldn't be able to stop you from getting to Rainbow Dash." Jango explained, "So, the only thing I could think of, was to take you out of the picture entirely."

"What's that mean?" Applejack asked, taking a fighting stance.

"I'll just put you and your friends 'away' for a few hours, until your friend has become an official Wonderbolt." Jango laughed.

"You think that you're going to be able to just take us?" Alex asked, "Twilight could squash all of you with one spell!"

"Well, we'd better move fast then," Jango laughed, as he turned to his henchponies, "Go!"

Suddenly, everypony else was engulfed in the same levitation field.

"Don't worry," Jango said, "In a few hours, it'll all be over."

Then, instantly, everypony was teleported away, leaving only Jango and Tulip.

"This is just too easy." Jango laughed, walking into the house a few steps and examining some pictures on a mantle. "The Oranges? I wonder what business they had with them."

"FAMILY!" Tulip shouted.

"I didn't know you were smart enough to figure something like that out." Jango said, levitating one of the pictures off the shelf and laughed. "Hmm… This butler of theirs looks like somepony I used to know."

Tulip's eye simply twitched.

Dropping the picture on the floor, Jango chuckled. "Get us out of here."

Tulip sighed. He didn't like all the kidnapping and overall mean-ness of Jango. But, he was the boss. So, he had to comply.

"What's taking you so long?!" Jango snapped.

Quickly casting the spell, Tulip teleported himself and Jango away.

/

Alex felt himself suddenly drop a few inched out of the air, and onto a hard floor.

"Ouch..". Alex said, beginning to stand up, before Fluttershy dropped on his head.

Everypony was teleported into the large room, and were similarly dropped on the floor.

Looking around, Alex saw nothing special about the cell that he had been brought to. It was a large completely stone room, that had four walls, and a single door, with a small window halfway down it, presumably so they could be watched through it.

Shaking his head, Alex slid his head out from under Fluttershy, and stood up.

"Is everypony okay?" Alex asked the group, earning several mumbles.

"Hello everypony!" Jango said, teleporting himself into the room. "How do you like your accommodations?"

Deciding that he had had enough, Alex attempted cast a levitation spell on Jango, but found himself unable.

"Come now, Alex." Jango laughed, "No spells here."

Alex growled. What had been with all the anti-magic stuff recently? It was starting to get out of hoof.

"Listen up, kiddies." Jango announced, "You're going to be here for the next, oh, say, twelve hours. But, you have my word of honor, that as soon as Dash sighs her contract, you'll all be free to go."

"Word of honor, huh?" Alex asked, "Tell me, what is that exactly worth?"

"Almost nothing." Jango laughed. "Now, everypony relax, I'll come get you in a few hours."

Turning around, Jango walked to the door, and exited the room.

Alex would have chased him, but was still a little woozy from the transport.

"Have a nice night, Ladies." Jango said, said from behind the door, as he walked away.

"Hey!" Twilight called, stumbling as she tried to stand up. However, he was long gone before she was able to walk properly.

"What a meanie!" Pinkie said.

"You can say that again!" Rarity agreed.

"What are we going to do?" Spike asked, standing up, and moving next to Rarity.

Applejack stood up, and shook her head, "How strong do ya' figure that door is?"

"Strong." Alex said, inspecting the thick metal shape of the door. "No offence, but not even you could kick this thing open."

Applejack checked out the door herself, and reluctantly nodded.

"What are we going to do…?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

Nopony said a thing.

Fluttershy simply squeaked unhappily, and looked downward.

"Let's not give up!" Twilight said, "We can think of something!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed, "We can't just give up!"

"What are we going to do though?" Alex asked, still feeling defeated.

"Well… We still have one ace in the hole." Twilight said, "Ramsley is still out there."

"What could he possibly do?" Rarity asked, "He's a butler!"

"Well, if this place has an anti-magic barrier, then chances are that we were brought to the stadium itself!" Twilight worked out. "He's a smart pony. I'm sure that he'll figure that out somehow."

"You're putting a lot of faith in him." Alex said, "I can't help but agree though. He knows what he's doing."

"I sure hope so…" Fluttershy said quietly.

"Don' worry Fluttershy," Applejack said, consoling her, "This'll all work out, just you wait!"

"You guys are right." Spike added, "I'd hate for this—"

Spike promptly fell over, asleep.

"Boy, that's a great omen." Twilight giggled, "Come on everypony. We can't solely depend on Ramsley, so let's work on our own escape plan."

/

Ramsley walked down the street, back toward the mansion, floating a couple of large pizzas along with him.

As he approached the manor, he immediately noticed that something was off, as the front door was open, and nopony could be seen around it.

Walking through the front door, Ramsley looked toward the living room, and saw that it was empty.

"Where is everypony?" Ramsley muttered to himself, as he walked forward.

His preliminary investigation of the house was cut short when he stepped on a piece of glass on the floor.

Looking down, Ramsley noticed that it wasn't just a piece of glass that he had stepped on, but a picture. Looking closer, he saw that the picture was one of him, and the Oranges.

"Why was this dropped?" Ramsley said to himself, as he set the pizza down next to him.

Looking up, Ramsley noticed something else… In the place that Rarity had been sitting previously, there was instead, a broken teacup.

It didn't take long for him to piece together what happened. They had been taken by… Somepony. Which, again, took little thought to figure out.

"Jango." Ramsley growled.

Trying to further understand the situation, Ramsley worked through the problem.

First, how were they taken? Twilight and Alex were both gifted magic users, and wouldn't go down without a fight. So, they must have been taken by surprise.

Second, why hadn't they simply teleported themselves back? Wherever they were, they weren't using magic. So, that either meant that they were unconscious, or that they were being kept from casting anything.

Then, all at once, it clicked.

Wonder Stadium.

If there was one place in Manehattan that they could be kept powerless, it would be there. Unfortunately, there were several places that they could be, as the stadium itself wasn't the only thing encompassed by the barrier. There were a couple of various fields, for various sports, a parking garage for parade floats, and Wonder Blimp. The stadium also had a network of underground storage areas that were completely empty. He knew the upper level of the stadium off by heart, but the underground section was a different story.

Quickly walking to his room, Ramsley pulled out a box from the back of his closet that contained a couple of things he could use to help himself out. The box contained an old maintenance map for the stadium, a pamphlet with instructions on using magic within the barrier, his old Wonderbolt-Blue suit, and, at the very bottom, a picture of Chaser

Sighing, Ramsley slipped the picture into the pocket of his old suit as he levitated it out. He was going to study the map until he had it memorized, use the pamphlet to recall the magic for use in the stadium, and then, suit up. He knew that it would take him a few hours to get all that done. So, he got to work immediately.

Ramsley hadn't felt this kind of rush in years. Still, he understood why. He was about to walk into Wonder Stadium, and single hoofedly rescue a group of ponies in trouble. Then, reunite one of them with the mare he loved. It wouldn't be easy… But it sure as heck would be awesome.

/

Alex lay on his back, and counted the dots on the ceiling. More time had passed than he cared to count. And he was sure that the race would be starting sometime soon.

Everypony had tried their best to get out, but had no luck.

Rarity had tried flattery with the guard outside the door, but had failed.

Pinkie had told the best joke she could come up with, but simply insulted the guard's mother.

Fluttershy had given the guard the saddest look she could muster, but had no luck.

Applejack threatened the guard. He simply laughed at her.

Twilight tried to explain the consequences that he would face once Princess Celestia got wind of this, but he simply didn't believe her.

Everypony had expected Alex to do something himself, but he couldn't come up with a single thing.

Now, everypony sat around in silence, feeling completely defeated.

"Does everypony hear that?" Twilight asked, "I think I can hear the guests arriving."

Listening, the group could easily hear the light thudding of hoofsteps above them.

"I guess that's it then." Alex sighed.

"Don't say that!" Pinkie encouraged. "I'm sure that Mr. Ramsley is on his way right now!"

"Come on, Pinkie." Alex said, "He would have been here hours ago."

Their conversation was cut off when they heard a loud grunt come from outside the door.

Standing up, Alex walked over to the door, and peeped out the glass. All he could see was the guard pony unconscious on the floor.

"What the…?" Alex started, as the door was unlocked.

The door slid open, and revealed a very happy Ramsley.

"Ramsley!" The group collectively said.

"It's good to see everypony." Ramsley smiled, "But, I'm not a butler right now, so… Call me Ram."

"I'll call you whatever you want me to!" Alex said happily, "How'd you find us?"

"Well, it didn't take much figuring." Ram explained, "This is the kind of thing that Jango would do."

Alex couldn't help but notice that Ramsley was no longer wearing his suit, which exposed his cutie mark. And, to his surprise, it was a shooting star. However, now wasn't the time to ask for a back story. He would find out once this was all over.

"What time is it?" Twilight asked.

"The sun came up about an hour ago." Ram explained, "So we need to get moving."

"You don't remember the teleportation spell by any chance, do you?" Alex asked.

"I'm afraid that I don't." Ram sighed, "I tried to re verse myself in the magic here, but, I ran out of time. I would have been here much sooner had I not spent so much time trying to use those spells again."

"Oh well," Alex said, "We just need to get out of here, and find Dash."

"Right." Ram agreed. "We just have to head out the way I came. We'll come out at the garage, and then we'll have cross the fields, enter the stadium, and get to the racetrack."

"Is that all?" Alex laughed.

"Let's hurry." Ram said. "I didn't encounter much resistance on the way here. I think most of the henchponies are stationed upstairs."

"What's going to stop them from teleporting us again?" Twilight asked.

"We'll just have to take them by surprise." Ram said.

"Wonderful." Rarity sighed.

/

Dash looked out the door of the change room, and felt her heart pound. The stands were absolutely filled. She knew that without a doubt she'd win. In fact, she had even been saving up a special move for the end of the race. She was going to perform a Sonic Rainboom as she crossed the finish line. It wasn't to prove herself further to Comet, or Spitfire. It was for the crowd. This would be a day they would remember

"Hey Dash," Spitfire said walking into the change room. "You ready to become a Wonderbolt?"

"I… I guess." Dash said quietly.

"You don't sound very sure of yourself." Spitfire said, slowly.

"Well, my friends didn't come to the party last night…" Dash explained, "Maybe it's because they didn't want me to go through with this."

"You told me that being a Wonderbolt has always been your life goal." Spitfire said, "So, why wouldn't your friends what that either?"

"I guess that makes sense," Dash sighed, still a bit unconvinced.

"Look, I'm sure that they have a very good reason for missing last night." Spitfire consoled, "They'll be here today, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks." Dash said, feeling a little better. "I guess I'd better get ready, huh?"

Spitfire nodded, and headed back toward the door she had entered in. "Good luck, Dash. Make me proud out there."

Turning to her locker, Dash opened it, and pulled out the Wonderbolt suit, that she and all the other trainees had received for this race. She was going to go out there, and she was going to win this. After all, this had always been her dream… This is what she wanted! …Right?

/

Everypony walked through the seemingly endless maze of tunnels, underneath Wonder Stadium.

Ram kept at the front of the group, leading everypony out the way he had come in. Still, he couldn't help but feel that something was wrong.

"I can't believe that Jango wasn't watching us a bit closer…" Alex said, looking around. "One guard? That's all you've seen so far?"

Ram nodded. "I don't know what to say."

"Maybe he underestimated us," Spike suggested, "Maybe he thought one would be enough."

Suddenly, a voice boomed over the intercom. "Attention! Post six hasn't called in his scheduled status report. Team blue and green dispatch and investigate!"

"Fantastic." Rarity said sarcastically.

"What do we do?" Fluttershy asked, clearly panicking.

Everypony started talking at once. They all tried to get their voice heard, but in the end, it was just a mesh of incoherent chatter.

"Does anypony hear that noise?" Pinkie asked loudly, quieting the group down.

Listening carefully, it only took Alex a few seconds to figure out what the noise was. And he didn't like it one bit.

"What is it?" Ram asked, seeing the look that Alex wore.

"Tulip." Alex said.

After a few seconds, it became too clear to everypony else. The sound of fast running, paired with the horrifying "YEEEAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"I don't think that we'll stand a chance against this guy." Alex said.

As much as everypony hated to admit it, they agreed with Alex. This pony was not one that they would want to get on the bad side of. And, unfortunately, they were probably already there.

"Wait!" Spike said, "I have an idea!"

"What?" Twilight asked.

"I think we can talk sense into him!" Spike said.

Twilight sighed. "Spike, have you seen that pony?"

"Yeah… But, I can do it! Haven't you seen the way that he's been treated?" Spike asked.

"Spike, you'll just get yourself hurt!" Rarity said, "Please don't do anything reckless."

The shouting wasn't far now. He would be on them in only a few seconds. Taking a step forward, Spike put himself in the front of the group.

"Spike!" Twilight shouted, "Get back, NOW!"

Spike ignored her, as he watched Tulip come into sight, as he turned a corner at the end of the hall.

"Spike…" Alex said beside Spike, "Are you sure about this?"

"Just trust me." Spike asked. "Please."

"Alright." Alex said, stepping back. "Good luck."

Seeing the group, Tulip slowed his pace, until he eventually stopped, only a few steps away from Spike.

"You have to let us go!" Spike said.

Tulip simply stared at him, not making a noise.

"This pony behind me has to get to Rainbow Dash!" Spike said, gesturing to Alex.

"WHY?" Tulip asked, scaring the whole group with his massive volume.

"Well... Because he cares about her!" Spike explained.

Tulip raised an eyebrow, but again, remained silent.

"Haven't you ever cared about somepony?" Spike asked him.

The truth was, Tulip used to care about somepony. Somepony very special.

"How would you feel if something tried to keep her away from you?" Spike asked.

She had moved away… To Canterlot.

"Wouldn't you do everything in your power to make sure that you could see her?" Spike continued.

He would have followed her, but he never had the money.

"Even if it meant taking an amazing flyer away from the Wonderbolts, against the team managers wishes?" Spike finished.

Then, as if something inside him had broken, Tulip let out the single, most manly tear any of them had ever seen. It ran down his cheek, collected on his chin, and fell to the floor.

Tulip then stepped aside, allowing a clear path for them to continue.

Everypony couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. Spike, a thoroughly small pony, had just made the largest, and scariest pony any of them had ever seen, cry.

Rarity had never been so attracted to him in her entire life.

"We'll need your help to get out of here." Spike said.

Tulip nodded.

Everypony erupted into cheering. Never in a million years had any of them seen that coming. They all congratulated Spike, as they started heading forward again, knowing full well that time was tight.

Getting an idea, Spike walked over to Tulip, and whispered something in his ear.

Alex watched as Tulip nodded, and then bent his front legs, lowering himself to the ground.

Spike then jumped up, and sat human style on Tulips back.

"W-what are you doing?" Alex asked, cracking up, "You're not a dragon anymore Spike!"

"Don't take this away from me!" Spike said defensively.

"We don't have time for this," Ram said, "We need to get out of here. We're almost to the exit."

Suddenly, Alex felt that familiar feeling. That sudden rush of power within him, that had shown up the night he was taken by The Doctor, and so many times before that.

Looking around, Alex saw that nopony had noticed his sudden change stance. So, he was going to try his best to act normal, and hopefully, not black out again.

The intercom came back online, this time, with Jango on the other side.

"Tulip!" Jango said, "Those ponies are the ones that broke out! Teleport yourself back, we're going after these guys together. I'm at the garage entrance."

"What is he going to do when you don't show up?" Twilight asked.

"Maybe he still can show up!" Pinkie suggested, "Except, he could take us with him!"

"Fabulous idea, Pinkie!" Rarity said.

"Can you do that?" Twilight asked him.

Tulip nodded.

Alex tried his best to stay focused, but he was being overwhelmed. Every time he experienced this rush, it got stronger, and took less time to take hold. It was making record time, and Alex wasn't sure if he was even going to make it out of this place before he blacked out. After all, he wasn't able to use up the magic as he had before, since he wasn't able to use any magic within the barrier.

"What's taking you so long, you big oaf!" Jango bellowed. "Get up here!"

"CLOSER!" Tulip shouted.

Everypony except Fluttershy obeyed.

"What are you doing?" Twilight asked. "We need to be around him."

"Um… Actually, I think that I'll just stay here!" Fluttershy said, backing away. "It's not so bad down here! In fact, I think it's a bit nicer than my cottage!"

Tulip sighed as he cast a levitation spell, pulling Fluttershy toward the group.

As soon as she was within range, Tulip cast the teleportation spell, and took everypony to the front entrance.

/

Rainbow Dash walked out to the race track to a thundering applause; something that she would have to get used to.

Her Wonderbolt uniform was fantastic. It tightly clung to her body, allowing for more aerodynamic flight. The only piece missing was the face mask. She preferred flying without it, as it squished her face uncomfortably. At first, she had thought it to be a tailoring error, but it turned out that it was like that for everypony.

On the field stood a number of ponies: her fellow trainees, Spitfire, Comet, and of course, the guests of the competing ponies. Dash had hoped that her friends had been late for some reason, and that's why they had missed last night. But, it didn't look like that was the case. They had simply decided not to show up, or even send her a letter.

"Rainbow!" Comet called, hurrying over to Dash.

"Yeah?" Dash asked, as Comet pulled her to the side a bit.

"Are you ready to become part of the best flyers in Equestria?" Comet asked, making sure they were out of earshot of the other ponies.

"I guess," Dash said, non-definitively. "I just wish that my friends were here…"

Comet was starting to get a little fed up with her attitude. She just wouldn't let go.

"Look… Dash," Comet said, "This race is about you, and you alone. If they decided it wasn't important enough to attend, then maybe they weren't worth—"

"Don't say that!" Dash shouted suddenly, not happy with the way Comet was talking about her friends. "Those ponies are my best friends, and I KNOW that they wouldn't miss this unless something big came up!"

Comet scolded herself for being so careless in her choice of words.

"I didn't mean to insult your friends, Dash." Comet explained, trying to do as much damage control as possible. "What I meant to say is… that this is your moment, and you need to do this for yourself!"

Dash sighed. She couldn't stop now just because her friends hadn't shown up. She would have plenty of opportunity to tell them what happened later.

"So go out there, and give 'em hay!" Comet said, "You got that?"

Dash nodded. This was happening.

"Okay."

/

"Tulip!" Jango shouted, seeing the group appear in front of him, "What are you doing? And why is that pony riding you?"

"He's doing that right thing!" Spike shouted back, "And I'm riding him, because I feel that it fits the moment!"

Alex squinted, he was starting to get tired. Just as he had the last few times this had happened to him.

"You'll regret this, Tulip!" Jango said angrily as he looked over the ponies in front of him. "Wait a minute… You…"

Jango and Ram's eyes met.

"Jango." Ram said, stepping forward from the group. "Do you remember me?"

Jango couldn't believe it. The pony from that picture at the Orange mansion was indeed the pony he used to work with.

"Ram." Jango said back.

"Have you missed me?" Ram asked.

"What are the chances?" Jango laughed, "How serendipitous… Why are you even here?"

"I'm here to make sure that they get to their friend before she signs her life away. And unless you got a lot better at fighting, I suggest that you step aside." Ram explained

Alex tried to focus on the exchange in front of him, but was close to the blackout point. He had been fighting it as hard as he could, but knew that he was going to lose the fight any time now.

"You can try as hard as you want to leave, but I'll just teleport you all to one of the many rooms under here!" Jango threatened, "I'd like to see Tulip find you in time!"

"That can't happen!" A voice said to Alex.

Suddenly, Alex was feeling much more awake. It was happening… But it wasn't the same.

"So, we're all going to stand right here, for the next, oh… ten minutes?" Jango instructed, "More than enough time for your little friend to win her race."

"I'll stop this guy…" The voice said again, making Alex gulp.

It was the same voice that Alex had heard before. It was the same voice that he had had in his dream.

"And don't even try to teleport them out of here, Tulip!" Jango said, "I'll make sure one of them gets real hurt in the process!"

"Lording magic over all of us like that. Let's see how strong he is when everypony has none!"

Alex felt himself lose control of his body. But, this time it was different. He was still conscious.

"Hey Boba!" Dax said through Alex. "You think you're so tough?"

"Boba?" Jango asked.

"Jango," Dax corrected, smiling cockily. "Wrong movie."

Leaning forward, Dax started to casting the first spell that came to his mind.

Jango chucked as he watched Dax attempt to cast a spell.

"Sorry champ." Jango laughed, "No magic here. I thought you knew that!"

"This isn't magic," Dax laughed, "This is much more powerful than that."

A shockwave originated from the tip of his horn, and exploded outward at an incredible velocity, quickly encompassing everypony.

"W-what did you just do?" Jango asked, trying to cast his teleportation spell, "I can't use my magic!"

Everypony turned and look at Alex, completely shocked.

"I just wanted to level the playing field." Dax laughed, panting slightly.

"What… Who are you?" Twilight asked.

"Dax," Dax replied, winking at Twilight. "I'm sure that you'd all love a nice long explanation, but I used up most of my time here, casting that spell."

"B-but…" Twilight stammered.

"I'm someone new, but something old." Dax explained vaguely. "I'm a side of Alex that none of you knew existed."

"Where did you come from?" Rarity asked.

"Chaotic Magic, Discord… Take your pick." Dax said, "You can ponder that for a while. In the meantime, I'll give you your friend back."

Suddenly, Dax collapsed on the floor, as everypony surrounded him.

"Are you okay?!" Applejack asked.

"He's… Sharing his body?" Rarity asked.

"I'll bet this had something to do with Alex disappearing." Twilight said.

"There are two ponies in there?" Pinkie asked. "How does he fit them in?"

"I've never seen anything like this…" Ram said.

"Did… Did that just happen?" Alex said, wobbling as he stood up, relieved that the power had disappeared.

"You… Changed." Twilight said uneasily.

"Crap. I guess it did." Alex sighed.

"You guys!" Spike shouted, "Jango is making a break for it!"

"Teleport us to the stadium now that he's gone!" Applejack said.

Tulip grunted, and tied his best to cast them a spell. But, he was able unable to use magic.

"Looks like Al—Dax cut everypony off," Spike said. "No just Jango."

"We should have teleported when we had the chance." Alex sighed.

"He's getting away…" Fluttershy said quietly.

"We have to follow him!" Alex said suddenly, turning around, and heading for the door as best he could.

Everypony stood in place behind Alex, still a bit baffled at what had just happened.

"Hurry!" Alex shouted, "If we stop now, we might lose Dash!"

/

Rainbow stood at the starting line for the race. Her competition looked nervous. Something that she had expected to feel herself... However, for some reason, she was content. Perhaps it was because she knew she was going to win… Or maybe because there was nopony here for her to disappoint, if she were to lose.

"Alright everypony!" Spitfire called, "This is going to be just like the races from practice, with one small exception. There are going to be ten laps!"

A quiet murmuring broke out amongst the trainees.

"We want to see how long it takes everypony to finish, and just how tired they'll be!" Spitfire said.

Dash wasn't fazed. Endurance was never her weak suit.

All that she wanted, was to get this race over with, so that she could move on.

"Hey Dashie." A voice whispered in her ear.

Instinctively jumping back, Dash was perturbed to see Cuddly Bear standing right beside her, giving her the same smile he always gave her.

"I sure hope you do good today." Cuddly said, "You smell great. Have I told you that?"

Dash went wide eyed. She just wanted to fly away, and never look back.

"You should probably let me get back to listening to Spitfire…" Dash said, praying he would get the hint.

"Alrighty…." Cuddly said, staring into her eyes. "I'll be waiting for you at the finish line…"

Dash gulped. Maybe she shouldn't finish this race.

/

"Where are we?" Twilight asked, adjusting her eyes to the bright morning sun.

"We're as far from the stadium as we could possibly be." Ram said dejectedly. "How convieniant."

"Is it too far for Fluttershy to fly?" Alex asked.

"Even if she did make it, the security would stop her." Ram explained, "If only we had something that they couldn't…"

Ram thought for a moment, and then smiled.

"The blimp!" Ram exclaimed.

"Uh, I don't think that's going to work…" Spike said slowly.

Turning, Ram watched as the massive garage door finished opening, and the huge blue blimp started to roll out on to the grass in front of them.

"Jango!" Ram shouted. "I should have stopped him when I had the chance…"

"Can't we stop it?" Alex asked, watching the blimp's massive propellers push it upward.

"Not unless you have any more of that super-magic." Ram said.

"I can't control it…" Alex said, trying his best to think. "There's gotta be something…"

"Fluttershy, Can you chase it?" Twilight asked, turning to the pony, who had been hidden in the back.

"I'm not Rainbow Dash…" Fluttershy said, "I'm not that fast."

"If only we had another blimp." Ram said to himself.

"Oh, we do!" Pinkie smiled. "We can take mine!"

"…What?" Alex and Ram said together.

Pinkie trotted off to the garage next to the one Jango had come out of, and disappeared into the door.

After a moment, the garage door opened, just as it had before, and out rolled a bright pink balloon, with a matching gondola.

"What in the name of Celestia…?" Twilight gasped.

Pinkie stuck her head out the window, and smiled brightly. "All aboard! We have a Rainbow to catch!"

/

"-and finally, good luck to each of you!" Spitfire finished as she got herself in position to start the race.

Dash leaned forward and flared her wings. It was almost time for her dream to come true… The dream she wasn't even sure about.

"Ready!" Spitfire shouted.

Comet smiled. In a few minutes, Dash would cross the finish line, and officially become the next Wonderbolt. Something even Princess Celestia herself couldn't change.

"Set!" Spitfire continued.

"This is it…" Dash said quietly

"Go!"

/

Pinkie's blimp sped after Jango, in the team blimp, in an attempt to get to the stadium first.

Everypony had piled into the large metal gondola that hung from the huge balloon. Inside, was a wheel and some dials, a bunch a chairs, and a balcony that could be used when the blimp was simply floating, and not moving.

Alex couldn't help but laugh at the situation he was in, and how he got to it. There were so many things that went wrong. He could have gone straight to Dash when he first arrived, instead of asking for her. He could have written the note on the paper airplane himself, he could have gotten Twilight or somepony else to go in and find her. He could have even just gotten Tulip to teleport them to the stadium immediately after they befriended him. But, he hadn't had the foresight.

"We're almost past him!" Pinkie announced.

The massive pink blimp was about to inch ahead of the Wonderbolt blimp, but Jango refused to give them the lead, and instead turned his blimp into theirs.

"Everypony hold onto something!" Twilight shouted as the blimps collided.

The hit that Pinkie's blimp took wasn't a good one. The propellers on the Wonderbolt blimp tore a hole in the balloon, starting a loud hiss that was heard by everypony.

"That meanie pants!" Pinkie shouted, "We're leaking!"

"What do we do?" Rarity asked desperately, "I'm too young to die!"

"We need to get to safety somehow!" Spike said, still sitting on Tulips back.

Then, Alex got an idea.

"Pinkie, Take this blimp as high as you can!" Alex said to her.

"We need to be goin' lower!" Applejack argued.

"Can we please go lower?" Fluttershy said, shaking in fear.

"If we break the barrier, Twilight can teleport you guys to safety!" Alex said, "And, going higher will allow me to get on to the Wonder blimp!"

"How do you know if we're able to even use magic, after that weird spell you cast?" Twilight asked.

"He canceled out the ability to use magic in the barrier completely." Alex explained, "Don't ask me how I know that… Because I just do."

"Alright." Twilight said. "How are you going to get across thought?"

Alex walked to the balcony, and opened the door.

"I'll jump here." Alex shouted over the wind that blew through the open door. "Alright Pinkie, take her up!"

Pinkie complied, and started to ascend the blimp.

Gauging his distance, Alex waited for the gondolas to line up for him. And, as soon as they did, he threw caution to the wind that was current whipping past him, and jumped.

Alex had a plan. One that he wasn't sure would work, but he was going to try nevertheless. This was worth the risk.

Everypony ran to the ledge of the balcony, and watched Alex fall down several feet before spreading his wings, and gliding the last of the distance to the balcony of the other blimp.

"Holy buck." Alex gasped, happy that he had learned proper gliding from Dash.

All of his friends wished him luck.

/

Dash sped along the track. For some reason, the laps felt like they took longer during this race. Of course, she knew that she was still moving at the same speed as she always had. Still, when you're hyper aware of something you're doing, it always tends to take longer. Dash was even listening to every word that was being said by the announcer said.

"In the lead, is the amazing Rainbow Dash!" The commentator announced over the intercom, "She's just starting her fourth lap, and is showing no signs of slowing down!"

/

Alex opened the door to the blimp, and stepped inside.

Jango turned around and snarled. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm here to stop the race!" Alex barked.

"And you think that just because I'm without magic, that you'll be able to stop me?" Jango asked.

"I'll do whatever I have to." Alex said looking out the window. They were almost over the stadium. He would have to work fast.

"Let me tell you something," Jango growled, "Unless you've taken years of combat training, You're going to be in some real trouble."

It was then that Alex realized that he might be a tad bit out matched. Now would be the perfect time for that alter-ego of his to appear, and save the day.

"Are you ready?" Jango asked, grinning cockily.

"Come on evil pony…" Alex said, hoping to coax out his alter ego.

Backing up, Alex found himself at the back of the gondola, with nowhere left to go.

Jango bent his hind legs, and then lunged at Alex. However, before he made contact, he was knocked away by Ram, and sent into the side of the gondola, where he got his face plastered into the window.

"Not today, Jango." Ram laughed.

"How did you get in here?" Alex asked, happy to see Ramsley.

"I'm a fantastic jumper." Ram winked.

"You… You don't want to do this, Ram." Jango said slowly, picking himself up off the floor. "There are things you don't know."

"What is that even supposed to mean?" Ram laughed. "You're just trying to stall!"

"Just go home, and live in ignorance." Jango said.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Ram asked.

"Come on, Ram." Jango said, wincing at the volume he was speaking at. "Who do you think is behind all of this?"

"Well, you!" Ram guessed, "And the team manager! You and him probably—"

"It's a her," Jango said, smiling, despite the pain he felt.

"So?" Ram asked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Her name, Ram. It's… Comet." Jango said, before laughing in a rather maniacal way.

"That… That couldn't be true!" Ram said, "C- Chaser would never do something like this!"

"Who's Chaser?" Alex asked.

"Her name is… Comet Chaser…" Ram explained, "And, she used to be very special to me."

"Oh." Alex said, understanding.

"I… I can't believe that she would ever do something like this…" Ram said, still shocked.

"Look," Alex began, "I know that this sucks… But we need to focus on getting to the ground. You can confront her then!"

"Yeah..." Ram said after a moment, approaching the controls and suddenly freezing. "Um… You don't know how to fly this by any chance, do you?"

/

"Rainbow Dash is way out in front, and is almost at the start of her eighth lap, mares and gentlecolts!" The commentator said, "And if you look up right now, you can all see the Wonderbolts blimp just coming into view!"

Dash glanced up. Sure enough, there it was.

"It's pretty high up there; I wonder what the pilot is doing?" The commentator said.

Looking away, Dash pushed herself to fly faster. She needed to achieve a Sonic Rainboom before the end of the tenth lap, so she could finish this with a bang.

/

"How do we bring this down, Jango?" Alex demanded.

"You think I'm going to tell you?" Jango laughed. "We're going to stay up here until the race is over!"

Alex growled as he started to pace back and forth. What could he do?

"Rainbow Dash is starting her ninth lap, everypony!" The announcer's voice could be heard from below.

Walking over to the controls, Ale tried his best to decipher which ones would have been able to help him. Still, none of the controls made sense to him. Suddenly he got an idea. It may be a bit rough though.

"Ram!" Alex said, "I know what to do!"

"What?" Ram asked, happy to hear a suggestion.

"All we need to do is—"

"No!" Jango shouted, suddenly standing up and rushing toward Alex. He wasn't going to let him ruin this. Unfortunately, all he had wanted to do was slow him down from getting to Dash. But, when he made contact, something much worse happened.

The next thing Alex knew, he had been hit by Jango, and was knocked out the open door, and off of the blimp.

"What have you done?" Ramsley shouted running to look over the edge.

"I-I didn't mean too…" Jango stammered. "It-it was an accident!"

/

Alex was in free fall. His entire body flipped and spun through the air. He felt like he was going to be sick.

His heart was pounding as he plummeted toward the race track. Knowing full well that his magic wouldn't be able to help him, which left him with one alternative… His wings.

"Rainbow Dash has started her final lap everypony!" The commentator announced, "We almost have ourselves a winner!"

Alex was high enough to know that gliding down would take too long. So, he was going to have to speed himself up.

Stiffening his body, Alex clamped his arms to his side, and kept his legs straight out behind him. He was going to plummet headfirst toward the ground.

That was so much better than falling slowly.

Alex watched Dash as she progressed around the track, and noticed something. The air around her was starting to warp. She was moving fast. Faster than he had ever seen. She was going to finish this race soon, and that meant that he needed to speed up himself.

Spreading his wings, Alex started to pump as hard as he could. He could feel his speed increase with every pump. And he hoped that it would be enough to get himself to her in time.

Dash made her final turn at the end of the loop, and was now gunning straight for the finish line. Alex adjusted himself, and clamped his wings to his side once again, and waited for the right moment.

It was going to be close.

"I'm coming, Colors!" Alex shouted, flaring his wings, and rapidly decelerating.

/

"This is it…" Dash said to herself. "Just a little more…"

Dash sped up again, making sure that she would make her Rainboom just as she passed the finish line.

But, just as she got to the last leg, she heard a voice bellow from above her.

Looking up, Dash watched as a Pegasus plummeted right toward her. And before she knew it, she had collided with the pony, which sent the two of them into the ground, skipping along toward the finish line like rag dolls. The crowd gasped as they watched the whole event play out.

They finally came to a stop only a few feet away from the finish.

Looking up, Dash groaned in pain. The entire audience was silent.

In her daze, the only things she could think of, was getting herself over the finish line.

Standing up, Dash staggered toward the finish line. Her mind started to clear as she approached the line.

She certainly hadn't expected somepony to fall out of the sky. At first, she was angry at the pony, but she quickly realized that they could be really hurt too.

But that didn't matter.

She had made her choice. If her friends didn't want to come to her race, then there wasn't anything else for her to do. This was it. There was nothing in all of Equestria that was going to make her stop from staggering over the finish line now.

"You grew your hair out…" The pony said quietly from behind her. "It looks great..."

Dash stopped.

"You should keep it that long…"

Dash turned around. The pony she had collided with was…

"A-Alex?" Dash asked, her voice cracking.

"I'm sorry I'm so late for our date, Colors." Alex said, sitting up and wincing in pain.

Dash was completely speechless. Here he was. He literally fell out of the sky.

"Alex…"

Not saying another word, Dash ran to him, pushed his back to the ground, and kissed him.

Pushing her face into his as hard as she could, Dash gave him the kiss she had wanted to give him for three months.

Alex hadn't kissed as a pony before. But, luckily, it was pretty same across the board as a human kiss. So, he relaxed, and join her.

Dash could feel her heart pounding harder than it had during the race. She couldn't believe this was happening. The stallion she would give up her life as a Wonderbolt for, had just dropped out of the sky. Two minutes ago, Alex had been dead. But, here he was.

This was the single happiest moment she had ever experienced.

Alex was a little surprised… For such a competitive pony, Dash had surprisingly soft lips. Something that he knew he could get used to.

In the back of her head, Dash could hear the commentator mentioning what was happening on the field. She could hear the crowd cheering louder than they had at any point during the race… She could even hear the other racers finishing. But, that was something that she couldn't have cared less about.

/

Comet couldn't believe what she was looking at. Dash had been only inches away from the finish line, when she had been hit by that pony, and knocked into the ground. And now, here they were, making out in the middle of the racetrack.

However, seeing this did make Comet realize something: Dash cared for this pony, a lot.

Comet had assumed that Alex would have been an option B for Rainbow, and she would have had to choose between him and becoming a Wonderbolt. But, seeing her immediate, and complete forfeiture from the race, made her see that it was no contest. Alex would always win, should Dash be presented with the choice.

Sighing, Comet watched as security waited for the race to end so they could remove Alex from the stadium. But, knowing full well that Dash wouldn't be changing her mind at this point, Comet stood up from her seat, and walked into the announcer booth beside her.

Alex had earned this moment. The least Comet could do was give it to him.

/

Twilight ran through the stadium lobby, followed by all of her friends, and Tulip, wanting to see what had happened to Alex after he fell out of the blimp. She feared that they were all going to see what remained of Alex after he hit the ground. But, nopony was screaming, so that was a good sign.

Security had tried to stop them with their magic, but was unable to do so. So, Tulip simply ran them over to clear a path for everypony.

Running through a tunnel toward the seating section, a booming voice suddenly come on over the PA.

"Security, stand down." Comet's voice said, "Leave those ponies be."

Exiting the tunnel, Twilight was extremely relieved to see Alex safe on the ground, kissing Rainbow rather feverishly.

"Thank goodness!" Twilight sighed.

"Oh my…" Fluttershy said, blushing at the sight.

"Those two certainly got to it quick, didn't they?" Rarity said.

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack agreed.

"They're so precious!" Pinkie squeaked, giggling.

"Those two look really…" Spike stopped, trying to find the right words to say.

"CUTE TOGETHER." Tulip finished.

"Yeah." Spike agreed, "They look really..."

Spike then, collapsed, asleep.

/

Alex and Dash had been so involved in their kiss, that security showing up hadn't crossed either of their minds. But, as all good things had to come to an end, so did this kiss.

Pulling away from each other, Alex was surprised to see Rainbow biting her bottom lip, and starting to tear up.

"W-what's wrong?" Alex asked. But, instead of a proper answer, he got a smack on the side of the head.

"Where were you?" Dash asked quietly, trying to keep her voice from cracking, and not cry at the same time. "I… I've missed you…"

"I'm sorry I left you alone," Alex responded, brushing some of her mane away from her eye, "But I promise. I'll never leave you again… Rainbow Dash."

"Y-you used my real name…" Dash said as her tears started to flow freely. "I like it when you do that."

"I'll be sure to use it for you in the future, then." Alex said, leaning into her face, and kissing her softly on the lips again.

"So… Where were you?" Dash asked, blushing lightly.

"It's a long story…" Alex admitted. "But, now I have plenty of time to tell you."

/

**The epilogue will be posted in my original story!**

/


	31. Chasing the Rainbow Epilogue

/

Chasing the Rainbow – Epilogue

/

A few days ago, nopony had had any idea what was ahead of them. Winter was ending, Rainbow Dash was becoming a Wonderbolt, and a good friend of all of them had disappeared without a trace.

But now, Twilight and her friends stood in Wonder Stadium, and waited giddily for Rainbow Dash and Alex to return from the field, where they had been reunited, and had shamelessly made out in front of hundreds of cheering ponies.

Twilight knew that there would be plenty to sort out once this was over and done with. After all, they had just interrupted an official Wonderbolts performance, beaten up a few ponies, and crashed a giant pink balloon into the train station down the street from the stadium. Still, things had turned out amazingly, and for right now, she was going to enjoy what her and her friends had accomplished.

"They sure have been in that dressing room a long time…" Twilight said, glancing at the clock on the wall above them.

"What do y'all think they're doin'?" Applejack asked.

The girls looked to one another, not sure if they should voice their thoughts.

"Perhaps she's cleaning up with a shower and Alex is…" Rarity suggested before immediately regretting it. "Never mind…"

Spike sighed. This was taking too long.

"I'll go look!" Spike said running to the door.

"Spike, no!" The girls yelled collectively.

Spike was immediately grabbed by one of Twilight's spells, and dragged backward.

"I think they deserve their time alone, don't you?" Twilight asked him as she dropped him on his rump beside her.

"Yeah… I guess so." Spike sighed.

/

Ramsley had been pacing for about a half hour outside of the Wonderbolts manager office.

Comet's office…

The pony he had loved so long ago. It was truly a shock when he discovered that she was the 'evil' manager of the Wonderbolts that had orchestrated this whole series of events.

He wasn't totally sure what he should say. Comet still had no idea that he had had a hoof in what had gone on today. What she had done was downright terrible. Would he even be able to face her?

Chaser would have never done something like this. But, apparently, 'Comet' would.

Sighing, Ram lifted a hoof to the door, and knocked slowly. It was now or never.

"_Come in…" _A dejected voice said from behind the door.

Opening the door, Ramsley saw a large red chair turned away from him, that seated Comet.

"How did everything go so wrong?" Comet asked her visitor, not caring who was actually there. "I thought I was doing the right thing for that pony, whether she knew it or not."

Ramsley opened his mouth to respond, but was quickly cut off.

"She was so happy with that pony..." Comet sighed. "Would I have been that happy?"

At this point, Ramsley knew that she just wanted to get this off her chest. She didn't care who listened. So he let her continue, and waited for the right moment.

"Seeing one pony do so much for the mare he loves… It really opens your eyes." Comet continued, "I used to be the captain of this team, and yet, I still feel like…"

"Like you missed something?" Ram asked.

Turning quickly, Comet's heart sunk.

"…Ram?"

"Chaser."

Comet couldn't believe it. She hadn't seen him in years, and certainly never expected to see him again.

"Why are you here…?" Comet asked.

"I'm a friend of Alex." Ramsley said simply.

"Fantastic…" Comet said. "Come to laugh at the evil mare then?"

"No." Ramsley answered. "I came for answers, Chaser…"

Comet sighed. "I don't know what you want me to say… I… Did all of this for the good of the team."

"The team?" Ramsley asked, "Is her happiness worth less to you than the team?"

"I saw so much of myself in her…" Comet admitted, "I thought she would be happy! Just like I was..."

"Were you really happy leaving everything behind for the team?" Ramsley asked bluntly. "You sure sounded like you regretted it a few seconds ago."

"Well...!" Comet said, thinking deeply. "I was… I was one of the most famous ponies in Equestria! Who wouldn't want that?"

"You're dodging the question." Ramsley countered.

"I… I think I was!" Comet said. "I mean, it was either the Wonderbolts, or you… And I… I think I chose the right one."

"Yeah?" Ramsley asked. "Why don't you take a look in the mirror."

Comet was silent.

"What would Chaser say to you?" Ramsley asked, "If she knew that she would become you, what do you think she would have chosen?"

Comet was afraid to answer… She really had changed, and she knew it.

"If there's even a shred of Chaser left in you, you need to go to those ponies, and apologize." Ramsley said. "You almost took them away from each other."

Comet stayed silent.

"Come to the Orange estate if you have anything to say." Ram said. "Their friend Pinkie plans on throwing a party in celebration of Rainbow Dash returning to them."

Ramsley then turned around and headed out the door, leaving her alone.

Feeling a tear run down her cheek, Comet sighed, and laid her head down on her desk. She had some thinking to do.

Ramsley felt a little bad for what he had just said. He had laid it on pretty thick. But, it was something she needed to hear.

/

"Ugh…" Dash sighed. "Not so hard."

"It's really tight…" Alex grunted.

"Try sliding it slower," Dash said, "Just… Do it gently!"

"I thought this would be done in like, five seconds!" Alex said, "We've been at this for almost fifteen minutes!"

"Well, maybe if this stupid uniform is glued to me." Dash sighed.

Alex stopped pulling on the uniform that was rolled half way down her body, and walked in front of her.

"Maybe we should just go out." Alex suggested, "Everypony is dying to see you, and I'm sure Rarity can help you out of this thing."

"I'm already half out!" Dash complained, "I'll look stupid! Don't you have a spell you can use?"

"Magic barrier." Alex said.

Sitting down on her rump, Dash groaned.

Alex sat down next to her, and let her rest her head on his shoulder.

The two had spent the past hour catching up, and once Alex had given her a very confusing explanation as to where he had been, she asked him to help her out of her uniform so that she could go out and greet her friends. But, removing the suit proved to be a bit more difficult than she had intended.

"It's not all bad I guess…" Dash yawned.

"Oh?" Alex asked. "Why's that?"

"Well, duh!" Dash said, "You're back! I'm still expecting to wake up… and this all would have just been a dream."

"Well… Is there anything I can do to prove to you that this isn't a dream?" Alex asked.

"Let's just sit here for a minute…" Dash said closing her eyes. "This will do just fine."

"No problem for me." Alex said.

"So… Where did you say you went again?" Dash asked, still a little lost on the whole topic.

"Well, I was in a ship with that Doctor," Alex explained, "And I was only with him for something like… fifteen minutes?"

"And where did the time go then?" Dash asked.

"Well, he did say that it was a time machine…" Alex explained, "I kinda blacked out, and when I woke up, it was three months later."

"How did you stop him from killing you anyway?" Dash asked, "Didn't you say that there was a magic barrier or something?"

Alex wasn't sure how to explain the existence of Dax to her yet. Of course, everypony else knew about him, so he couldn't really keep it to himself.

"Well, something happened when I…."

"What's taking you guys so long?!" Spike asked, running into the room.

The group of girls followed in behind him, praying that they weren't walking in on anything.

"You guys!" Dash said, standing up quickly, smiling brightly. "After the past couple of days… I thought that you weren't coming at all."

"Of course we came!" Twilight said, "We're your friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed, "And I DEFINATELY wouldn't have missed a blimp ride for anything!"

"More like a blimp crash…" Fluttershy said quietly, shaking at the thought of the experience.

"It's not like y'all KNEW that was gonna happen." Applejack laughed.

"I would have been surprised if something like that didn't happen!" Spike laughed.

"So, what's been taking you guys so long, anyway?" Twilight asked.

"We can't get my uniform off…" Dash said, blushing lightly.

"Oh, dear! Did you not use any talcum powder when dressing yourself?" Rarity asked.

"Talcum… What now?" Dash asked, completely unaware of this powders existence.

"It's baby powder, darling." Rarity explained, "It helps the suit slide off when you're done with it."

"Well, let's just say that I forgot…" Dash said slowly, hoping there was still an easy way to get out of her uniform. "This is why I hate dressing up."

Suddenly, a light went off in Rarity's head.

"Alex, would you mind if I borrowed Rainbow Dash for a few hours?" Rarity asked, causing everypony to look at him.

"Uh… Well, I mean… I don't…" Alex stammered, not really wanting to say goodbye to Dash yet.

Rainbow Dash was about to protest herself, when Rarity whispered something in her ear.

"Are you sure?" Dash asked her quietly.

Rarity whispered something else in her ear.

"Well, I guess so." Dash said, "But… It's not really my thing…"

"Come now," Rarity spoke up. "He'll love it."

Everypony looked at Alex.

"What will I love exactly?" Alex asked.

Ignoring him, Rarity simply gave Dash a 'make a choice' look.

Making up her mind, Dash nodded. "Alright, let's do this."

Alex was a little lost, but decided not to complain. He knew how much Dash had missed him, and figured that Rarity had a good reason to drag her away.

"Are you sure you want to head off so fast?" Twilight asked.

"Well… It'll only be for a little bit... Besides! I want to catch up with you guys!" Dash answered, "We'll meet Alex, Pinkie, and Spike back at Applejack's relative's house."

"Huh?" Pinkie asked, "Why don't I get to come along?"

"Aren't you setting up the party?" Rarity asked.

"Oh yeah!" Pinkie remembered excitedly.

"Oh, and Pinkie, one more thing…" Rarity said as she leaned over and whispered into Pinkie's ear.

"Okie Dokie Loki!" Pinkie said happily.

"Come on Alex!" Pinkie said pushing herself underneath him and lifting him off the ground.

Alex was then carried away by Pinkie, giving the girls behind him the biggest frown he could muster, which was met with some laughter.

Happy to have made them laugh, Alex perked up and called Spike to follow them.

"I'm sure that tonight is going to be interesting." Alex said to him.

"You bet your rump it's gonna be interesting!" Pinkie said to the pony on her back, "I AM planning the whole thing after all."

"I sure hope so, Pinkie." Alex laughed.

/

The next few hours passed as Pinkie set up the classiest party she had ever done before, which was proving to be quite a task for her. Normally, she was setting up a station to bob for apples, or a 'pin the tail on the pony' sheet for her friends to play. But Rarity had said that tonight was to be about Dash and Alex. So, she was going to follow the instructions she had been given.

Ramsley had been more than happy to pitch in with the set up. He got some tables set up in the back yard of the mansion for everypony to sit at; he got some stereo equipment out so Pinkie could play music that she had personally selected from Alex's IPod. He was rather interested to hear some of the music that came from his world.

So, Ramsley kept helping with whatever he could, trying his best to keep Chaser out of his mind.

Spike had been in charge of making sweets for the party. Since he had transformed into a pony, he found himself with an increased appetite. So, he had started taking baking lessons from Pinkie so he could keep himself satisfied. Another pleasant upside to the whole thing was that Rarity thought it was 'Simply Adorable' when he baked her treats.

Alex had been told to relax, as his day had been so crazy. However, he failed to see how his day had been any worse than anypony else's.

"I'm sure that I can do something!" Alex said, bored out of his mind.

"Alex, you fell out of a blimp." Ramsley said sternly, "That alone must have raised your blood pressure a fair amount."

"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed, "If you have a stroke tonight, I think you'll kinda bum out the party."

"I-I'm not gonna have a stroke!" Alex argued.

"Alex!" Spike interrupted, "How do these taste?"

Spike had a silver platter balanced on his head that was filled with an assortment of cupcakes.

Levitating a cupcake off the tray, Alex took a bite, and was pleasantly surprised.

"This is great!" Alex complemented, "I'm surprised that you don't have a cutie mark in baking!"

Spike sighed, "Rarity said the same thing…"

"That's a bad thing?" Alex asked.

"Well, I don't want to get stuck with a cutie mark like THAT." Spike said, "What if you were really good at something mundane like… Math!"

"Hmm… A math cutie mark…" Alex pondered, "That wouldn't be so bad…"

Spike sighed. Alex was making this difficult on purpose.

"Well, what about a cutie mark in something like, blowing spit bubbles!" Spike said, really not thinking things through at this point.

Alex's face contorted. "Ew."

"I thought that's what my Cutie mark was gonna be for like… Ever!" Pinkie spoke up, "But, then it turned out to be parties! It was a real game changer!"

"That's… Nice…" Ramsley said slowly.

"You get what I mean though, right?" Spike asked, really hoping that his point had been made.

"I get it." Alex said, relieving Spike, "There are definitely some lame Cutie Marks you could get."

"Thank you!" Spike sighed as he headed back to the kitchen.

"Wow," Alex said looking at the clock, "Is it already this late?"

Pinkie gasped, "Alex, you have to go get ready! The girls will be back soon!"

"Huh…?" Alex asked.

"I forgot to tell you!" Pinkie said, "You're supposed to go dress in that tuxedo you bought yesterday!"

"I am…?" Alex asked again, still lost.

"Oh! You too Spike!" Pinkie called into the kitchen.

"Me too, what?" Spike asked.

"Just go upstairs!" Ramsley said, not wanting to waste any more time. "Get dressed for your marefriends!"

/

Alex sat in his room, and waited. He had heard the girls come in a few minutes ago, and had been told by Pinkie to stay put until he was called. His heart pounded uncontrollably as he waited. He wasn't even sure why he was so nervous. It was just Dash… But, at the same time, he felt like he had to work extra hard for her, since she hadn't seen him in so long.

What had they even done in the past few hours anyway? Alex wasn't stupid, he was sure that she had gotten cleaned up and prettied up. She may not have been the most girly pony around, but she certainly had that side about her. And Alex figured that tonight he was going to see a glimpse of that part of her.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Alex gulped. He hoped that she didn't think this was silly. Of course, by his own description, He was looking damn fine in his outfit.

He had sort of adopted a 'suits always make you look legendary' attitude from this one show he used to watch on TV.

Noticing a small patch of dark in his face, Alex leaned into the mirror. It was a patch of dried blood from his earlier collision with Dash. Licking his hoof, he rubbed it against his cheek, but found that the red only spread around on his face.

"Alex!" Spike called from the hall, "Its go time!"

Removing his hoof from his face, Alex took a deep breath.

This was it. It was time to go and see exactly what had been done to Dash.

Opening his door at the end of the hall, Alex turned and walked down toward Spike, who was dressed in his matching outfit.

"Are you ready for this?" Spike asked him quietly as Alex stopped beside him.

"I guess…" Alex said slowly, "How's she look?"

Spike simply gestured to the stairs, where he was sure that the girls stood at the bottom.

"You know… Isn't the girl supposed to come down the stairs?" Alex asked suddenly. "While the guy stands at the bottom?"

"Oh, Dash is up here too!" Spike said, smiling. "It's a 'meet in the middle, and go down together' sort of thing."

"Oh… So… Is she waiting for me at the other end at the hall?" Alex asked.

"Once you turn the corner right here, Rarity will give her the signal to come out." Spike explained.

"This seems so… Unnecessary…" Alex said.

"Maybe… But Dash seemed pretty excited to do this. So, give her this one, okay?" Spike asked.

"How can I say 'no' to that face?" Alex laughed, rubbing the top of Spike's head.

"Are you ready?" Spike asked.

"I guess." Alex said, gulping hard.

Spike simply gestured behind him, and watched as Alex passed by, and turned around the corner.

"Good luck." Spike whispered.

Alex turned the corner, and saw Rarity standing at the opposite side of the room, waiting in the same kind of hallway he had just walked out of.

Lighting up, Rarity gave a gesture, and stepped aside.

Alex held his breath.

Then, Dash walked around the corner in an outfit that made his jaw drop so hard it made a thud noise on the floor.

Dash wore a transparent purple dress that matched the purple in her mane. There was a curved design on the back, and several very small and very cleverly placed sequins near the bottom of the dress that made the fabric look like it was covered in shining stars.

The collar of the dress reached around on either side of her neck and met in the center, where a crystal cyan lightning bolt held the two pieces together. Her shoes were a matching purple, accompanied with a white cloth that wrapped around each leg up to her knees, making an alternating white and cyan pattern on her legs. Her mane was brushed straight down her face, and partially covered her left eye, while the back of her mane hung down her side in a very low ponytail.

Then, to top it all off, she wore a simple tiara that was comprised of two pieces of gold that were both curved on both ends. One piece rested on each of her ears, while they were held together in the middle by a matching crystal lightning bolt.

Alex had spent such a large amount of time staring at her, that Dash was starting to get anxious.

"Do… Do you like it?" Dash asked weakly as she hid behind her hair, hoping to Celestia that all the pampering she had just gone through had been worth it.

"Colors… I mean, Rainbow..." Alex stumbled, "You look so, so beautiful…"

Dash blushed deeply.

"I mean… You're just… Wow." Alex said, completely at a loss for words.

Rarity was giddy. She had taken Dash to one of her favorite dressmakers, and picked out the best, and most expensive dress and shoes she had. Then, she had her taken to a spa, where her coat and mane was completely cleaned, to remove any evidence of her earlier collision with Alex, and soon after, her collision with the ground.

When they had arrived at the mansion, Rarity dragged Dash upstairs, got her dressed, and did her hair. And now, here she was, looking more beautiful than any of them could have ever imagined. One thing that everypony would remember from this day on, was that if Dash tried, she could give some of the most gorgeous mares a run for their money.

"You look good too, Spot." Dash said stepping forward to the top of the staircase so she could see him a little better. "You have something on your face though."

"That's from the crash earlier…" Alex said meeting her in the middle, "I only just noticed it myself."

Closing the distance between them, Dash leaned in close to his wound, "Are you okay?"

"It doesn't hurt." Alex said leaning in closer to her face, "But… Maybe a kiss would make me feel better."

Dash grinned slyly. "Well… If it'll help."

Alex leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

Dash exhaled, closed her eyes, and pushed into him.

One thing that Alex had always expected, was that it would have felt weird to kiss while he was in this pony form. But, it seemed to come as naturally as a normal kiss would.

"I SEE THAT IT DIDN'T TAKE THEM LONG!" Princess Luna bellowed from the bottom of the stairs.

Immediately separating, Alex and Dash looked down the stairs, and were genuinely surprised at the number of ponies that stood at the bottom.

Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Princess Celestia and Luna, Tulip, and for some reason, Cuddly Bear, all stood at the bottom of the staircase, smiling. (Except Cuddly, who was scowling a little bit.) The only pony missing was Ramsley.

"Why are you here?" Alex asked Princess Celestia, still a bit surprised to see her here.

"Well, when Twilight told us about your return, we couldn't resist coming down and greeting you properly." Celestia explained, "Also, Twilight has spoken quite fondly of Pinkie's parties."

"Well, I guess this is as good a reason as any to throw one." Alex laughed.

"Well, it's very good to see that you're back, Alex." Princess Celestia said happily. "However… I would like to talk to you about—"

"Where I was." Alex finished for her. "I think I owe just about everypony an explanation on that one."

"Well, I'm sure you'll have time for that later," Celestia smiled, "Just enjoy yourself for now, okay?"

Alex nodded.

Celestia then made eye contact with Dash, and winked.

"SHE HAS GOTTEN HERSELF A CAPABALE MATE, HAS SHE NOT, SISTER?" Luna asked.

Dash blushed, and hid behind her hair. She finally understood why Fluttershy was doing it so much. She wasn't used to all this. Not one bit.

"Y'all look real good together!" Applejack said.

"Thanks." Dash said looking back up.

Alex and Dash descended the staircase together, followed by Rarity and Spike.

Rarity also wore a dress. But, she wore a simple white dress with a purple trim, and matching purple shoes. She had no intention of being the star tonight. She simply wanted to look good with Spike.

"Are you guys ready to party?!" Pinkie asked, smiling brightly.

"YES!" Princess Luna shouted, genuinely excited for this event.

"But wait…" Alex said, "Where's Ram?"

"He went out to grab some pizza." Twilight explained, "He told us to start without him."

"Does he know about Celestia and Luna?" Dash asked.

"Nope," Twilight giggled. "I want to see the look on his face when he gets here and sees them."

"Come on, you guys!" Pinkie shouted, "Let's get this party started!"

/

Comet stood down the street from the Orange estate.

She had come over here with the intention of giving Dash a full apology.

However, just as she was walking up the street, she watched as the two rulers of Equestria were dropped off by a large carriage.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were here? How was that even possible? What kind of ponies had she gotten herself involved with?

Was she going to avoid them simply because she might be zapped into oblivion by her ruler?

No… She had to do this. She had done wrong, and she needed to apologize. Besides, she knew that Celestia was kind. She wasn't too sure about Luna, however. Still, she was going to have to take her chances.

"Chaser?" A voice said from behind her, causing her to spin around quickly.

And of course, it was Ram. And he was levitating a stack of Pizza's.

"Are you going to make a habit of sneaking up on me?" Comet asked.

"Are you going to make a habit of staring at my place of employment?" Ramsley countered.

"I suppose not." Comet answered, "I was just on my way to apologize to Rainbow… But I was sidetracked."

"Having second thoughts about stealing her back for the team?" Ramsley asked rather coldly.

Comet frowned. "No. I saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna enter your house."

Ramsley's eyes shot open. "A-are you sure about that?"

"Do I look like a foal to you?" Comet asked.

"I knew that they were connected with the Canterlot royalty," Ramsley said, "I just didn't know they were close enough to invite her over for a party…"

"Why hadn't they just called her?" Comet asked, "She could have had Dash released in no time."

"It would have been a slight abuse of power, I believe." Ramsley explained, "However, I'm sure that she would have done it anyway, if asked."

"That doesn't answer my question." Comet frowned.

"Maybe it was because they didn't know whether or not she would have helped…" Ramsley pondered, looking toward the mansion. "Or perhaps it was because Alex had something to prove… Or even a bit of both."

Comet sighed. All of this could have been avoided, had she not been so greedy. A few days ago, she would have never thought what she was doing was wrong. But, when Ram had gotten angry with her earlier, she had started to realize just what she had become. Her transformation into this… Evil pony had been so gradual, that she hadn't noticed it. Not even when she was about to ruin the future of two ponies.

"Hey, Ram…" Comet said after a moment.

Ramsley simply raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry for what I put you through." Comet said sadly.

"We got Dash back," Ramsley answered, "So, no damage done."

"That's not what I meant," Comet began again, "I mean… I'm sorry for how I ended things with you."

"Chaser… That was years ago." Ramsley said, a bit surprised to hear her saying this, "Longer than either of us cares to count."

Comet smiled softly.

"You made the choice you thought was best at the time." Ramsley continued, "And… It may have led you down a bad path, but I'm actually happy that you chose the team over me."

"You are?" Comet asked, a little shocked.

"Of course." Ramsley said, "If I had taken you away from the Wonderbolts, I would have always felt like I had stolen your dream away from you."

"Some dream…" Comet said, looking at the ground and sighing.

"Yeah, it turned out badly." Ramsley comforted, "But… Now is your chance to make up for what you did."

Comet was happy to hear that. However, Ram had always been a forgiving pony.

But, for all she knew, the others wouldn't ever forgive her for what she did. Still, that was a chance she was going to have to take.

/

Everypony had moved into the back yard to start enjoying the party Pinkie had worked so hard setting up. She had been playing some of her own music, but had been making a big deal about playing some of the tracks off of Alex's IPod. Something that he himself was quite interested to hear.

Both Alex and Dash had tried their best to avoid having to dance, as Dash had never danced with a stallion before, and Alex simply had no idea how two ponies went about dancing.

The two had stuck to the sidelines for the entire party so far. They had both watched various ponies go out in front of the stereo system and start dancing.

Alex had observed several different kinds of dances from the group. Applejack would shake her rump, and sway her tail in time with the music, Twilight flailed her forelegs and hind legs with her tongue sticking out, Tulip would head bang to just about anything they put on the stereo, at a speed that would certainly cause some kind of brain damage… But by looking at him, Alex wasn't too worried about his brain.

Even Princess Luna had gone out and swayed back and forth to the music. However, one pony sat in the corner of the room, and watched Dash and Alex with a pair of very creepy unblinking eyes. Cuddly Bear. Alex had first noticed him out the corner of his eye doing this about five minutes after the music started. And, he hadn't been looking anywhere else. He was simply watching… Alex was a bit scared.

"Dash," Alex whispered, "Why is that pony looking at us?"

Alex gestured with his eyes toward Cuddly, quickly.

Deciding to act as natural as possible, Dash started to have a very loud, very obvious, and very fake sneeze.

"A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A CHOO!" Dash spat out, throwing her head to the side so she could look at cuddly.

Alex held back his laughter. That was the worst pretend sneeze he had ever seen.

Turning back to Alex, Dash sighed. "That pony is in love with me."

"He is…?" Alex asked a bit creeped out.

"We had a thing while you were gone." Dash lied, "You can't blame me. I was alone. He was there for me."

"Please… Please be lying to me right now." Alex begged quietly.

"Of course I'm lying!" Dash whispered, "Geez, talk about gullible!"

"I didn't really believe you!" Alex said quickly, "I was just playing along is all…!"

"Psh!" Dash laughed, "Sure you were!"

"Uh, I was!" Alex countered, knowing this was getting repetitive very fast.

"Sure." Dash repeated, hitting him on the shoulder.

She had missed this. Just the simple conversations with him… Something that she was going to relish from now on.

"Why aren't either of you dancing?" Celestia asked, approaching the pair.

"Oh…" Dash said, trying to come up with a believable excuse.

"We're really worn out," Alex said quickly.

"Oh?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, we DID crash into each other…" Alex explained, "And after that, we were having a lot of trouble breathing! Because of… all our kissing!"

Dash shot him a 'what the BUCK are you saying?' look.

Alex returned with a 'I don't know!' look.

"I see…" Celestia said, giggling at the exchange between the two. "I'll just leave you two then."

"Thank you." Dash said, totally embarrassed.

"Uh… Man… It's great that I came up with that so fast, huh?" Alex asked, mustering the best smile he could.

"You're lucky you're pretty." Dash said to him, trying not to break her feigned anger.

"Well, at least nopony is asking us to dance, right?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, I guess…"

"Alex! Dashie!" Pinkie called, "Princess Celestia just told me that neither of you have danced tonight!"

Alex looked past Pinkie to Celestia, and could have sworn. that she had turned into a troll for just a second.

"Come on up you two!" Pinkie called.

"Ugh." Alex sighed.

"Greeeeat." Dash sighed.

The two walked forward, being watched by everypony there.

"I don't know how to do this…" Alex said quickly to Dash.

"Well, I guess I'm leading." Dash said, now even more nervous.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Alex said, winking.

"Alright you two!" Pinkie announced, "I'm going to play one of my personal favorites off of Alex's IPod!"

"This should be interesting." Alex said.

Fiddling with the contraption in front of her, Pinkie tapped the screen a couple of times, and after a moment of silence, a song finally started to play.

Alex listened for a moment, and quickly identified the song.

"Stairway to Heaven, Pinkie?" Alex asked, a bit surprised at her using this song. "This song is really over played!"

"It is?!" Pinkie asked, quickly turning it off. "I'll play another!"

After another moment, Pinkie found the next song.

"How about this one?" Pinkie asked, tapping the screen.

The song opened up with the very recognizable opening guitar riff for Sweet Child O' Mine.

"Are you doing this on purpose, Pinkie?" Alex asked.

"Is this one overplayed too?" Pinkie asked, "I'm so sorry!"

"Well, you don't need to apolo—"

"How about this?" Pinkie asked, tapping the screen again.

The song started with a soft piano and trumpet playing.

_There's a calm surrender, to the rush of day,_

"This too?" Alex asked, as he watched Pinkie motion to change the song once again, "Actually, leave it."

"Are you sure?" Pinkie asked, "There are a few more here!"

_When the heat of the rolling world, can be turned away_

"I'm sure," Alex said, "This one is pretty overdone… But I love it."

Dash turned and looked at Alex, "Shall we?"

_An enchanted moment, And it sees me through_

Alex smiled and nodded.

Dash stepped forward, and pressed her cheek against his.

"Do we just sway now?" Alex asked.

"Mhmm…" Dash said quietly, as she started the moving with the music.

_It's enough for this restless warrior, Just to be with you._

It didn't take Alex long to pick up on the simple motions required by the dance. And before long, the two were swaying along with the music.

"This is nice." Dash said quietly into his ear.

Alex smiled, and started looking around the room as he spun with Dash. Rarity had dragged Spike onto the dance floor, and started dancing with him in the same manner as Alex was dancing with Dash.

_And can you feel the love tonight?_

Alex felt like he could stay like this forever. Just stay close to her, and never leave her side. But still… With this song playing… It really was making for a cheesy moment.

Dash felt a little out of character in this situation. Here she was, wearing a dress, slow dancing with a stallion, and loving every second of it. Geez… Sometimes it felt really weird being a girl.

Absent mindedly, Alex was listening to Pinkie mutter to herself. However, one thing caught his ear.

"What's… Skrillix?" Pinkie asked herself. "I wonder how it sounds…"

Alex immediately broke his dance with Dash and turned to Pinkie.

"No Pinkie! You can't—"

The speakers were suddenly filled with a painfully loud and repetitive 'wub wub wub wub' noise.

Alex looked to the speakers, and then back to Pinkie. This was a recipe for disaster.

"What is this?!"Dash shouted over the sound.

"It's… Dubstep!" Alex said rather dramatically.

"Turn it off Pinkie!" Rarity shouted.

But it was as Alex had feared. Pinkie was unresponsive. Lost to the 'music.'

"Make it stop!" Twilight shouted.

"IT'S HORRIBLE." Tulip shouted.

"Mah ears are bleedin'!" Applejack added.

Fluttershy could be heard whimpering, even over the loud 'music.'

Walking next to Pinkie, Alex tapped the screen, and the 'music' stopped.

Immediately, Pinkie snapped out of her trance.

"Alex… What was that?" Pinkie asked.

"It's 'music' you shouldn't be listening to." Alex said simply.

"But… That was the bestest 'music' I've ever heard!" Pinkie said, shocking everypony "I want to listen to it more!"

"Hey, I like it too." Alex said, levitating the IPod off the table, and into one of the pockets in his blazer. "But it needs to be taken in stages."

"Aww." Pinkie said, "Okay."

"I quite enjoyed it myself." Luna said, her volume having been leveled out by the loud music.

"I'll receive complaints from the neighbors if that kind of noise continues." Ramsley spoke up, having finally arrived to the party.

"My apologies everyone, but I'm afraid that the pizza has gotten a but cold…" Ramsley said, dropping a large stack of boxes on a table next to the entrance to the house. He decided to leave his introduction to the Princesses for after what was about to happen.

"What took you so long?" Spike asked.

"I was speaking with somepony…" Ramsley said slowly, "Somepony who wanted to apologize for what she did."

Everypony was shocked to see Comet step out of the house to beside Ramsley. Instead of wearing her usual suit, she wore nothing. She wanted to make herself as unintimidating as possible.

"Comet." Alex said simply, stepping away from Pinkie, and next to Dash.

"Alex… Dash…" Comet replied quietly. "I'm really sorry for what I did to you and your friends…"

Normally, Alex wasn't the type to hold a grudge. But something was springing up in him. Something was making him hold on to this. Something he was starting to get a little too familiar with.

"You're sorry?" Alex asked angrily, "You're SORRY?"

Everypony looked at Alex in disbelief.

"You broke into this mansion, you kidnapped me and my friends, you locked us in a cell underground, and then your lacky pushed me out of a blimp, in an area where magic can't be cast." Alex said angrily. "I could have DIED."

Comet didn't have a response for him.

"You're selfish." Alex said, "You're Evil."

"Alex…" Twilight said in shock, "I think you can stop now…"

Unfortunately, she wasn't really talking to Alex anymore. Something was speaking through Alex. Dax.

"And do you know what I do to evil ponies who try to hurt me?" Dax said, starting to cast a spell. "I try to hurt them."

Dax shot a black beam of energy straight toward Comet, who simply stood in place.

A shield was suddenly erected around Comet, that absorbed the dark energy.

"Alex!" Celestia shouted, "What are you doing?"

"Don't get in my way, Princess." Dax threatened. "This pony deserves what's coming to her."

Looking around, Dax locked eyes with Cuddly Bear. "You sure have been looking at me for a long time tonight. Got anything to say?"

Cuddly Bear stood up, and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, away from Dash's super-badass coltfriend. He would be back though. He would have her.

"That isn't Alex, Princess!" Twilight said, "That's… What I mentioned when I asked you to come here."

"Alex…?" Dash asked quietly, immediately grabbing Dax's attention. "What's wrong with you?"

Celestia used his divided attention to try and cast a sleep spell on him. But, it simply didn't affect him.

"Rainbow Dash!" Dax laughed, "You're the finest piece of tail here tonight. Alex is one lucky bucker."

"What did you do to him?" Dash asked, "B-Bring him back."

"I didn't do anything to him." Dax said. "You should ask what he did to ME."

Dash took a step back.

Applejack charged Dax in an attempt to get him away from Dash, but she was thrown away from him before she made contact.

"He's shunned me." Dax growled, not even fazed by Applejack, "He's pretended that I don't exist."

"So, you're his… Dark side?" Dash asked.

"You might say that," Dax said evilly as he leaned in to within an inch of her face, "And when I'm done, your little friend will be one with me."

_Oh that's it!_

Dash growled, pulled her head back, and then threw it forward, head butting Dax as hard as she could.

Staggering back, Dax rubbed his hoof on his forehead. "Why you littl—"

Before he had a chance to finish, Dash punched him in the face, and knocked him out cold.

"Just because I'm wearing a dress, does NOT mean that I can't floor somepony." Dash said breathlessly., feeling like herself for the first time tonight.

/

Alex looked around. Everything was black. It wasn't that he was in the dark, there was just… nothing. It must have been another one of his interactive dreams.

"Hello, Alex." A voice said.

Turning around, Alex was faced with a human version of himself.

"Our lady sure can throw a punch!" The human Alex said, to his pony counterpart.

"You… You're Dax." Alex said.

"Correct." Dax said.

"What do you want?" Alex asked.

Dax thought for a moment.

"I want… To exist." Dax said after a moment.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked, "You're here, aren't you?"

"Only because of this world and all of its magic," Dax said angrily, "If you had your way, I wouldn't exist."

"That's not—"

"Don't lie to me, Alex." Dax barked, "I know you better than YOU do."

Alex didn't respond.

"It's not natural being you, you know that?" Dax asked, "Being this… Perfect little pony, with no flaws whatsoever."

"What does that even mean?" Alex asked.

"It means that you're lying to yourself!" Dax shouted, "I was manifested because of that dark side of yourself that you push away."

"I don't have—"

"Don't lie to me!" Dax repeated loudly. "You wanted to hurt Comet; you just didn't have the stones to go through with it."

Alex knew that he was a little right, deep, deep down.

"If you just let me in, think of everything you can accomplish!" Dax said, "If you let me in, you'll finally have some character!"

Alex narrowed his eyes.

"Look, I'm not asking you to let me take over your life," Dax explained, "I just want to be present when I NEED to be."

"I'll never let you do that." Alex growled.

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Dax said calmly, "I'm going to give you some time to mull things over."

"Time?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Dax replied, "I'm going to take a break from my frequent visits, and let you decide whether or not I should be here."

"And what if I decide not to 'accept' you?" Alex asked.

"Then I'll take you over by force." Dax said darkly, "And I'll force you to watch as I destroy everything you love."

Alex couldn't believe he had just heard that.

"Shocked?" Dax asked cockily, "Good. And remember... If I see you or anypony else trying to get rid of me somehow, bad things will happen. I promise."

"How do you know I was even going to do that?" Alex asked.

"Because I AM YOU!" Dax said loudly, "How many times do I have to say it?"

Alex rolled his eyes.

"Either way, I think it's about time that I send you home." Dax said, "Everypony will be dying for some kind of explanation. I'll be back in a little while for a progress update."

Before Alex had a change to retort, Dax was gone, and the black room he stood in started to light up.

/

Alex shot up, out of his bed in the orange mansion.

"Alex!" Dash said, approaching the bed. But she suddenly stopped. "Or… Are you Dax?"

"It's me…" Alex said, still getting his bearings. "I'm so sorry about earlier…"

Dash immediately rushed Alex and wrapped her forelegs around him. "Twilight told me all about Dax, and how he showed up this morning, during the race."

"I thought it would be longer before he showed back up…" Alex sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me about him?" Dash asked.

"It's a hard subject for even me to explain…" Alex sighed, "I hardly understand it myself."

"Tell me every—"

"Go downstairs and gather everypony together…" Alex said, "I plan on filling everypony in on what's happened to me over the last while."

"Okay." Dash said simply, knowing that it would save a lot of time for him to do this with everypony present.

Alex watched her exit the room, and noticed that she was still wearing her dress. It was a shame that she didn't get to spend more time in it with him…

/

Alex went downstairs a few minutes later, and found everypony sitting in the living room, anxiously waiting for the full report on what exactly had been happening to him.

So, he started by explaining his random black outs, and sudden surges of power, but left out the moment he had saved Dash's life, as to not disturb anypony.

Alex then moved on to his abduction by the Doctor, and his black out there as well. He was confident that he was going to have been sucked into space. But, he passed out, and when he came to, he was safe.

The next time anything like that happened to him, it was while they were escaping the underground of the stadium. Dax had come out and stopped Jango from teleporting them away, before disappearing again, leaving Alex, and everypony else very confused.

The next time Dax came out, had been at this party, where he was knocked unconscious by Rainbow Dash. He finished off by outlining the conversation he had just had in his dream.

"And that's all I know." Alex sighed.

"Alex, this is very troubling news." Celestia said.

"An' Discord is to blame for him?" Applejack asked.

"He was a factor." Alex answered.

"Do you know any kind of spell that can remove him?" Twilight asked the Princesses.

"Well, perhaps we could—"

"No." Alex cut in, "If anypony tries anything like that, he said there would be consequences."

"And you believe his power surpasses our own?" Luna asked.

"He uses discordic magic, Luna. Just like Discord did, so many years ago." Celestia sighed. "It can't be stopped by conventional magic. However, it can be canceled out, by the Elements of Harmony."

"So, should we try to use the Elements of Harmony on Alex?" Dash asked.

"No." Celestia said, "There's no telling what it'll do to him, or what he'll do to us."

"It turned me into a filly," Luna said, "Although my aging process has been significantly increased... It wouldn't be so simple with Alex."

"So, how long do you think he's going to give you to 'decide'?" Twilight asked.

"I don't know…" Alex said, "A few weeks? A few months?"

"Do you think that he's capable of doing what he threatened?" Twilight asked.

"I don't know." Alex admitted.

The room went silent.

"I um… Can I say something?" Fluttershy said, breaking the silence, surprising everypony.

"Of course, Fluttershy." Celestia said softly.

"Thank you," Fluttershy said, smiling, "If Dax really IS you, then why would he threaten to destroy everything you love? Wouldn't he love those things too?"

"That's a good point," Twilight said, "But at the same time, he's a manifestation of Alex's dark side. Which could mean almost anything really."

"I'm not sure." Alex said again.

The room was silent again.

"I know this is like, super DUPER serious…" Pinkie said, "But, why don't we take a break?"

"I agree with Pinkie," Rarity said, "We should all take some time to let this sink in."

"I'm with them on that one," Alex said, "Besides… I need to apologize to Comet."

"Are you sure?" Rarity asked, "She has a lot to apologize for herself!"

"I tried to kill her," Alex shrugged, laughing softly, "I think mine is worse."

"Well, she's still outside with Ramsley." Spike said, pointing toward the back door. "Now's probably your best chance."

"Thanks," Alex said, smiling, "Colors, want to come with me?"

Dash looked around nervously. Comet had betrayed her… And she wasn't sure she could face her. But, looking at Alex, she realized that he would be there no matter what. She could deal with this. So, she nodded, and walked with him toward the back door.

/

"That's… really sweet." Comet said, having just been told the whole story of what Alex had been through, just to get back to Dash.

"He's quite dedicated to her," Ramsley said, "She's really, really important to him."

Comet nodded. "Ram, can I ask you something?"

Ramsley simply nodded.

"Why are you being so forgiving?" Comet asked, "You're acting like… Nothing happened."

"I know who you are," Ram said, "You're a good pony, you just made a LOT of bad decisions."

Comet laughed, "And you're willing to just… forget it? Even after your friends were locked underground?"

"That was Jango." Ramsley said, "You didn't have a hoof in that."

"I should have kept Jango under control. But, he's been removed from his position, so, hopefully he won't hurt anypony like that ever again." Comet sighed, "I still can't believe that he pushed your friend out of a blimp."

"Don't worry about that." Alex said from behind them, "I'm fine."

"Alex! Dash!" Comet said, standing up and turning around. "I-I'm, uh… You're…"

"I came out here to apologize." Alex said, "I kinda went a little crazy on you there."

"You have nothing to apologize for!" Comet said quickly, "I… I did so much to you two."

"Look," Alex said, "I know you had your reasons for what you did… But you don't have to convince me that you're sorry. I tried to kill you. We're even… It's her you have to convince." He said looking at Dash.

"Dash…" Comet sighed, "You look beautiful in that dress…"

Dash didn't respond. She simply stared at her.

"I… I don't expect you to forgive me." Comet said, "I got you to trust me, and then I used you."

"You did." Dash said simply.

"I lied to you, I kept you from Alex…" Comet listed, "I tried to force you into joining the Wonderbolts, and take away any free choice you would have had."

Dash nodded along with her, as she listed all she did.

"So… I'm sorry." Comet said, her eyes starting to fill with tears. "I didn't know what I was taking you away from… I didn't realize just how strongly you felt for Alex."

"Obviously." Dash said quietly.

"And, as s-soon as I saw you two on the race track, I-I realized just how wrong I h-had been." Comet said, losing the ability to talk properly. "I-I'm so sorry."

"I can't just… forgive you." Dash said. "Nopony has ever done something like this to me…"

Comet nodded, tears now running freely down her cheeks, darkening her coat.

"Maybe in time, I can come to terms, and I can let it go…" Dash continued, "But not right now. You didn't know how much I missed him… You almost stole me from him, and all of my friends."

Ramsley couldn't blame Dash for feeling this way. But, he would be here for Comet. Maybe… Just maybe, he could start helping her become Chaser again.

"That's all I want to say to you right now." Dash said, looking away from Comet.

"Come on, Dash." Alex said softly, "Let's go inside."

The two walked back into the house, leaving Ramsley and Comet alone.

As soon as Alex and Dash were out of her sight, Comet started to sob softly, as she leaned into Ramsley's shoulder.

"Just let it out…" Ramsley said softly.

As sad as the situation was for her, Ramsley was actually happy to see her crying. That just further proved to him that Chaser was in there. She was there, which meant that he might have some luck getting her back.

/

As Alex and Dash returned to their friends, Twilight walked past the pair, and out the door to go see Ramsley.

"Where is she going?" Dash asked.

"We've decided to leave tonight." Spike said.

"Oh…" Alex said, "Should I go pack?"

"What about my stuff at the stadium?" Dash asked.

"Everything has been teleported back to Ponyville already," Celestia said.

"That was fast!" Dash said.

"I've missed sleeping in my bed." Alex said, "It's been three months!"

"For us, maybe!" Dash laughed, acting as if she hadn't just had that exchange with Comet.

"It's hard to believe that it's only been a few day for you!" Spike said.

"Speaking of that, are we going to go after The Doctor?" Alex asked the room.

"I know better than to chase after that pony," Celestia said, "He's an elusive one."

"You know him?!" Alex asked in surprise.

"He has been told in legends that are older than either of us." Luna explained, "He has a way of showing up unannounced, at any given point in time."

"And he's… a bad guy?" Alex asked.

"Not from what we've seen." Celestia said, a little confused. "He's always been the good guy. He's done some amazing things in the past."

"I'll have to try to find him again then," Alex said, "Maybe then I can get the full story, because… well, he was just talking nonsense when he pulled me into his ship."

"I wish you luck then." Celestia said looking past Alex, toward Twilight and Ramsley, "Ah, Ramsley. I don't believe we've been formally introduced."

Ramsley immediately knelt down, "Your majesty."

"Please stand," Celestia said softly, "I wanted to thank you, and let you know that I owe you a debt of gratitude for assisting my friends."

"It was nothing." Ramsley said modestly, "I would have done it for anypony."

"And I thank you for having that attitude." Celestia said again, "If there is ever anything that I, Or Princess Luna can do for you, please let us know."

"Well, should I ever been in a situation that requires the assistance of a Princess, I'll make sure to let you know." Ramsley smiled.

"I'm happy to hear it." Celestia said.

"So, everypony is leaving early?" Ramsley asked, a bit sad to have his new friends leaving early.

"We think we've overstayed our welcome…" Twilight said, "With everything that's happened, I think we should all just work on getting back to our normal lives."

"I agree." Ramsley said, "But, what should I do with all of Pinkie's party supplies? They're still set up."

Everypony looked around for Pinkie, but found that she was missing from the room.

"Where did Pinkie go?" Alex asked, "Maybe—Oh, there she is."

Everypony watched Pinkie walk back into the room with a single, rather small duffel bag in her mouth.

Putting the bag on the floor, Pinkie quickly spoke up, "I got everything packed up, don't worry about cleaning anything up!"

Ramsley looked at the bag with a bit of surprise, "You fit it all in there?"

"Mhmm!" Pinkie nodded, picking the bag back up.

"Well, I suppose that's all then." Ramsley said, "Oh, should I pack everypony's things?"

"Already taken care of," Spike said.

"Oh. Well then…" Ramsley said, "I guess you're all set."

Everypony nodded.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality." Rarity said.

"I hope we get to come back soon." Fluttershy said, having wanted to explore the city a little more.

"Yeah!" Pinkie added, "It was a lot of fun!"

"Be sure that you're keepin' in touch!" Applejack smiled.

"And if you ever need anything from us, don't hesitate to ask!" Twilight said.

"I won't." Ram said, before turning to face Alex and Dash.

"If it weren't for you, I'd be a Wonderbolt right now." Dash said, "Thank you for helping me see Alex before I became one."

"Thank you," Alex said extending a hoof, "And who knows? Maybe when I'm rich and famous, I'll be able to hire you for my mansion."

"You could never afford me." Ramsley joked, shaking his hoof. "…I know we've only known one another for a short time, but please feel free to write, if you ever have the time."

"Hey! What about me?" Spike said, jumping next to them.

"You too, Spike." Ramsley laughed. "I'd like updates on you and your lady friend. I don't want to miss the wedding!"

Spike blushed. "Of course not! I'll need somepony to organize the whole affair!"

"I look forward to it." Ram smiled.

"Is everypony ready to go?" Celestia asked.

Backing away from Ramsley, Alex, Spike, and Dash approached Princess Celestia, and Luna.

"Goodbye everypony." Ramsley said, waving to the group.

Celestia cast a spell that enveloped the group in a bubble.

Everypony waved back to Ramsley, as the bubble suddenly became blindingly bright, and vanished, leaving him alone in the living room.

Ramsley smiled, turned, and started heading back to Comet.

"I guess things are going to be back to normal now."

/

**Sorry it took so long to get this posted. But, I'm now officially done with Chasing the Rainbow! So, I can go back to writing 'Episode' chapters for Off the Record! **

**Just to clear up a little confusion, this is NOT the end of the story. I still have so many plans for upcoming things! There are going to be Dax chapters… Cutie Mark Crusader chapters (coming up next)… A changeling side story that will be written in the same manner as this one… Discord still needs to be battled! And, of course, Ramsley and Cuddly Bear need to make a reappearance! **

**So, keep your eyes open! I'm going to start posting at my old pace in a few weeks, with shorter, more frequent chapters. **

**So… expect to see "Call of the Cutie" in a little bit!**


	32. Call of the Cutie

/

Call of the Cutie

/

Alex had never been so happy to see his bed when he finally arrived home from his trip to Manehattan. He dropped all of his belongings on the floor; belly flopped on to the bed, and was immediately greeted with a large cloud of dust puffing into his face.

Well, it HAD been three months since this bed was used…

Alex sighed and rolled over on to his back. He was pretty excited to have some time to relax. He was going to sleep in nice and late tomorrow, and then, go and finish his date with Dash. After they teleported home, Dash seemed to disappear with little more than a quick goodbye. She had been pretty far out of her comfort zone in that dress, so he quickly dismissed it. She wanted to be back to normal just as much as he did.

Celestia and Luna had also left right away. They had left some important business behind to go visit Alex for his return.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Alex cast a spell to levitate off the bed a few feet, and then dropped himself back on to the bed, sending the remaining dust into the air around him.

Pulling the covers over himself, he got comfortable, and started to doze off. Now, all he could do was hope that he wouldn't have any of his stupid dreams where he talked to Discord, or an evil version of himself…

That happened far too often.

/

Dash walked into her room and sighed.

It was good to be home.

Her time at the training academy had been exciting, and one of the greatest highlights of her life. But, one thing that she'd never miss about that place, were the beds.

They were stiff, scratchy, and downright uncomfortable.

Not at all like her bed. She had never realized it before, but sleeping on a cloud was her favorite thing to do. You truly don't know what you have until it's gone.

Jumping into her bed, Dash sunk into the cloud, and closed her eyes.

Today had been truly amazing. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she was shocked.

Last year, if she had been told that she would have given up on being a Wonderbolt for a stallion, she wouldn't have believed it in a second. Of course, she also wouldn't have believed that anypony would fall hundreds of feet just so they could be with her… Especially when they weren't able to fly.

And of course, she had worn a dress, danced, and even passionately kissed him… It was all… Not her.

She had never considered herself to really be a pony worth so much effort. But, Alex was certainly starting to change her feelings about that.

She wanted nothing more than to just spend some peace and quiet with him. However, with Discord, and the 'dark side' Alex possessed, she knew that they wouldn't be having much time like that.

Still… It gave her something to look forward to.

But for now, all problems aside, she was going to take a nice long, overdue nap.

/

Alex had awoken to a large amount of shuffling going on outside of his room. Glancing around, he looked at the clock on the wall, and was surprised to see it was already past 3:00.

Sitting up, he rolled out of bed, and headed for the door. He wanted to see what all the fuss was about. He was a bit of a mess, but it was nothing that he couldn't fix in a hurry if he needed to.

Opening the door, Alex looked toward Twilight, who smiled upon seeing him.

"Hey!" Twilight said happily, "Finally awake?"

"I guess so," Alex laughed, "You two sounded like you were getting ready to go out."

"We are!" Spike said, "We were invited to a cute-ceañera!"

Alex was a bit confused.

"A… what?"

"It's a celebration for a pony who recently earned their cutie mark." Twilight explained.

"Does that mean I'll have a… Cute… citrus when I get my mark?" Alex asked a bit more excited than he should have been.

"Well, if you really want one!" Twilight laughed.

"So, who is this for?" Alex asked, calming down a little.

"It's for a couple of girls in primary school." Twilight said, "Their fathers are pretty wealthy, and are throwing a big party for them."

"And everypony in town is invited to stop by!" Spike added, "It's at Sugar Cube Corner, so you know the food will be good!"

"So, it'll be alright if I come along?" Alex asked hopefully, wanting to pig out a bit.

"Of course." Twilight smiled.

"Great!" Alex said, "Give me a minute to get ready!"

Alex ran into his room, leaving Twilight and Spike waiting by the door.

"I hope he doesn't take too long." Twilight said, "I don't wanna miss any of the girls."

Just as she finished saying that, a bright light flashed from behind the door, and Alex walked out of the room looking like he had just come out of a spa.

"H-how did you do that so fast?" Twilight asked, shocked.

"Magic!" Alex said, pointing to his horn. "I remember seeing something about it in one of your books."

"Well, let's go!" Spike said, heading out the door with Alex.

"That's pretty advanced," Twilight said to herself quietly, "Something doesn't seem right..."

/

Dash had been flying above Ponyville for about a half an hour, enjoying the open skies and long-reaching view.

She had missed it.

She had been out all morning, as her sleeping schedule had been forced into a much less lazy one by her training. First, she went to see Alex, but Twilight said he was still asleep. So, she spent some time talking to Fluttershy instead, and was now on her way to visit with Rarity.

There had been so much that had fallen behind on, and was intent on catching up. Of course, that was nothing compared to what Alex had missed out on, but from what she had heard, Spike was filling him in.

And of course, Spike becoming a pony was another foreign thing to her. Alex disappeared so soon after his transformation, that she had paid very little attention to him in his new pony form. But she was going to fix that right now.

However, instead of going and talking to Spike about it, she was going to get all the goods from Rarity.

Flying down to the Carousel Boutique, Dash walked up to the wide open door, and peeked inside.

"Uh… Hello?" Dash called.

Immediately, Rarity's little sister Sweetie Belle ran out the door, and headed into town.

"Come on Rarity!" Her voice squeaked.

"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity called from the front door, not receiving an answer from her sister.

Dash watched Rarity sigh and shake her head.

"What can I do for you Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked, returning to her usual poised demeanor.

"Oh, you know…" Dash said, not really wanting to interrupt anything. "Just wanted to catch up."

"Oh! Well, if you wouldn't mind taking a walk, I'd be happy to chat." Rarity smiled.

"Really?" Dash asked, "Great!"

The two headed off to wherever it was that they were going.

"Where are you headed?" Dash asked.

"We're going to the cute-ceañera one of Sweetie's classmates." Rarity said, "She was fretting about not having a cutie mark when most of her friends already do, but she headed off in a hurry just the same."

"That's how girls can be." Dash laughed.

"So dear, is there anything in particular that you wanted to catch up on?" Rarity asked.

"Well…" Dash said, trying not to sound too obvious, "I wanted to know about Spike, and… Well, your perspective on the whole situation."

"Ah." Rarity giggled, "I suppose you were a bit of an introvert when we really started things out, weren't you?"

"I guess you could say that." Dash laughed nervously.

"Well, Spike is certainly a different dragon from the one he used to be." Rarity said.

"No kidding." Dash said.

"It's surprising really," Rarity began, "Spike has changed substantially since his transformation three months ago."

"Really?" Dash asked.

Rarity nodded.

"He's matured a great deal," Rarity explained, "And I don't mean he's lost his ability to be silly, or something like that… He's just… Different."

"That's a positive thing?" Dash asked.

"Oh, goodness yes," Rarity said, "Spike was chivalrous, and kind hearted to begin with, but now that he isn't a dragon… It all seems so… emphasized."

Dash nodded.

"It all seems like it has more meaning, like he's trying so hard to hold on to my affection." Rarity continued.

Dash was a bit confused, but allowed Rarity to continue before speaking up.

"He'll do just about anything for me now," Rarity said, a bit lost in her thoughts, "I feel guilty saying how much I enjoy it… And the strangest part is, Twilight says that he seems the same around me!"

"Are you sure that he's matured?" Dash finally cut in.

"Hmm?" Rarity asked, a little lost at her comment.

"It sounds to me like Spike is the exact same!" Dash laughed.

"But—"

"He's worshiped the ground you've walked on since he moved here! He's always been your slave, and he's always treated you better than Princess Celesta herself!" Dash listed, giggling the whole way through.

"Well…" Rarity said, trying to find the right words.

"I'm sure that he has changed a lot," Dash said, "But you're just noticing the things that were already there! Like you said, it's emphasized!"

Rarity smiled, "Perhaps you're right."

The two walked in silence for a few moments while Rarity thought to herself.

Dash suddenly got a wicked idea in her head.

"So… How is he?" Dash asked suggestively, knowing the confusion she was going to elicit.

"How is he at what?" Rarity asked innocently.

She didn't get it.

"You know… How IS he?" Dash repeated.

After a moment, the cogs started turning in Rarity's head, and she suddenly turned away, blushing furiously.

"Shame on you Rainbow Dash!" Rarity said, "I'm insulted you'd even consider that such a thing had taken place!"

Dash exploded in a fit of giggles, falling on her back.

"I'm not that kind of mare!" Rarity continued, "And Spike is certainly NOT that kind of stallion."

"I was just joking!" Dash laughed, "Calm down!"

"Well… It was in poor taste." Rarity said, still a little miffed.

The two walked in somewhat awkward silence for a minute while Rarity calmed down. Then, Dash decided to take a risk.

"I'm sorry," Dash said, "I'll make sure Spike is REALLY happy next time I ask, that's how I'll know for sure."

Rarity surprised herself by laughing softly, and after a few seconds she even responded, "I can assure you that he'll be much more than happy."

The two continued to make somewhat crude jokes as they headed toward Sugar Cube corner. Something that neither of them had expected to be doing when this trip started, but enjoyed nonetheless.

/

Alex, Twilight and Spike arrived at the party, and were immediately greeted with loud music, chatter, and Pinkie bouncing around eating lots of food. However, seeing their entrance, she landed next to the three of them.

"Hey Alex!" Pinkie said, "Where's your party hat?"

"Uh… hat?" Alex asked, turning to Twilight and Spike, both of which were now wearing party hats. He then looked up, and saw that he was wearing one too.

"You're welcome!" Pinkie said, as she made her way back into he party.

"She's good…" Alex said.

"You can say that again." Spike said, poking the hat on his head.

Alex looked around, and realized just how few of the kids he knew. The only ones he really recognized were Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. But, for some reason, Apple Bloom was walking around with what looked like a table cloth tied around her.

Sweetie Belle on the other hand had arrived just after him, and was hiding in the corner with an orange Pegasus that he didn't know.

Turning around, Alex saw that Twilight and Spike had headed off in their own directions, leaving Alex alone to mingle with the ponies at the party.

Deciding to get better acquainted with some of the fillies, Alex walked over to Sweetie Belle and her friend.

"Hey guys!" Alex said approaching the two, "Why are you hiding in the corner over here?"

"Shhh!" Sweetie said, standing up on her hind legs, and clamping her hoofs over his mouth. "Don't draw any attention to us!"

"Uh… Why?" Alex asked quietly as Sweetie removed her hoofs.

"Because we don't want everypony laughing at us…" Sweetie's friend said.

"Why would they laugh at you?" Alex asked.

"Because we're blank flanks…" Sweetie said, ashamed.

"Blank… flanks?" Alex said, piecing together what it was. "You mean you don't have Cutie marks?"

"Yeah!" Sweetie's friend said sadly.

"Psh, Big deal!" Alex laughed.

"Huh?" The two said in unison.

"I don't have a cutie mark, so what?" Alex asked, "There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"You don—"

The three were pulled out of the conversation by a record player hitting the floor, by Apple Bloom, who everypony was now looking at.

"Oh no…" Apple Bloom said.

"Wow, that IS an amazing Cutie Mark!" A filly with glasses said.

"Nice try, loser!" Another one with a tiara said.

"Blank flank!" The two said in unison, pushing Apple Bloom to the verge of tears.

Alex looked around, and decided to step forward. They must have had some respect for him.

"I don't have a Cutie Mark, what does that make me?" Alex asked, confident that the girls would back down from their insults.

"That makes you a GIANT loser!" The girl with the tiara said.

"Yeah!" The other said, "I'd be so humiliated if I was YOUR age and had no Cutie Mark!"

"Ouch…" Alex said to himself… "Right in my masculinity…"

"You got a problem with blank flanks?" Sweetie's friend called.

"Huh?" The girls both said.

"I SAID, you got a problem with blank flanks?" She repeated.

"The problem is that they're not special!" The girl with glasses said.

"No, it means that they're full of potential!" Sweetie spoke up.

"Yeah!" Alex agreed, "We could be good at anything!"

"They could be scientists, or artists, or writers or—"

"Or rappers!" Alex finished, happy with how well his suggestion fit the others.

"And they're not stuck up, like you two!" The orange Pegasus added.

"Why are you on their side?" The one with the tiara asked.

The two girls turned, and exposed their blank flanks to the entire room.

"Y'all don't have Cutie Marks either?" Apple Bloom asked excitedly.

"I think these girls are very lucky!" Twilight said.

As Twilight explained the advantages of not having a Cutie Mark, Alex noticed Dash and Rarity standing in the corner, watching the whole scene.

Dash gestured to the door, and walked outside.

Alex quickly ducked out of the crowd, and headed out the door to meet Dash.

/

"You know…" Dash said as Alex walked up beside her. "It sure was impressive how you got man handled by that school filly."

Alex laughed, "What can I say? I'm prone to being bullied."

Dash giggled, "It WAS sweet that you tried to stand up for Applejacks sister."

"It's just a good thing that Sweetie Belle and…" Alex said, before getting stuck on the Pegasus that had been with Sweetie Belle.

"Scootaloo." Dash finished.

"It's a good thing Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came to my rescue," Alex said, "Because I would be in tears right now if they hadn't."

"Surrrreeee." Dash said, "Because everypony knows that I like a stallion that knows when to cry."

"I cry all the time, baby." Alex said in a deep manly voice.

"Pff, shut up!" Dash giggled, smacking him.

The two stood in a comfortable silence together for a few moments.

"It's nice to be back to normal." Alex said, breaking the silence.

"I know…" Dash agreed, "I'm never letting this go again."

Alex took a step closer to Dash, and allowed her to rest her head on his neck.

"Alex… What's gonna happen when you master that teleportation spell?" Dash asked, having been bothered by this for a while. "Are… you gonna go home?"

"Of course not," Alex said. "There's so much here… I'd never leave it all behind."

"Good," Dash said closing her eyes and sighing. "So, you want to head somewhere?"

"Sure," Alex said, "What did you have in mind?"

"Well—"

"Hey Alex!" Sweetie Belle called from the front door.

Alex and Dash turned to face the three girls standing at the entrance.

"Hey girls, what's up?" Alex asked.

"Thanks for tryin' to stand up for me back there…" Apple Bloom said.

"No problem," Alex smiled.

"So, we wanted to ask you…" Sweetie Belle said.

"Do you want to join our club?" Scootaloo asked.

"Club…?" Alex asked.

"We're formin' The Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Apple Bloom said, "And we're gonna be seachin' for our Cutie Marks together!"

Alex laughed nervously, "Are you girls sure that you want someone my age in your club?"

"Of course!" Scootaloo said, "We asked Spike too! And he said he would join!"

"Of course he did…" Alex laughed under his breath.

"But my sister seemed kinda upset about it…" Sweetie said. "Started saying something about his 'maturity.'"

Dash let out a single, loud 'ha!' Before catching herself and stopping.

"Well… If Spike is in, how could I say no?" Alex said, expecting nothing to come of this 'club' anyway.

"Great!" The three said in unison.

"Our first meetin' is next week!" Apple Bloom said, "Don't be late! We're meeting at Sweet Apple Acres!"

The three headed off together back into the party.

Dash simply looked at Alex with a smirk.

"W-What?" Alex said, "I'm proud of being a Cutie Mark Crusader!"

"But… It's for little girls!" Dash said.

"So?" Alex asked, "Little girls stuff can be cool!"

"Isn't that kinda lame though?" Dash asked. "Liking little girls stuff?"

"Psh, no!" Alex laughed, "I wouldn't even be here if little girl stuff was lame!"

"Hey!" Pinkie shouted, "Did you just break the fourth wall?"

/


	33. Fall Weather Friends

/

**Fall Weather Friends**

/

Alex and Spike walked into the library together after their first Cutie Mark Crusader meeting, and both collapsed on the floor in front of a confused Twilight.

"How was your first meeting in your new club…?" Twilight asked.

"Well…" Alex began, "We know we're not doctors…"

"And we're not acrobats!" Spike added.

"We're also not dancers, librarians, police ponies, body builders, inventors, glass blowers, actors, poker players, marathon runners, magicians, lumberjacks, OR ice skaters." Alex sighed.

"I was pretty good at blowing glass." Spike said quickly.

"Actually, he was," Alex agreed, "I thought the Cutie Mark would appear on him… But it didn't."

Twilight giggled, "It sounds like it was a rough day."

"Hey!" Alex said suddenly, "Why is it so much like autumn out there?"

"The falling leaves?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah!" Alex said, "Didn't winter JUST end?"

"It happens a few times a year," Twilight said, "It must just be another different between our worlds."

That was good enough for Alex. He didn't want to get into any complicated season-related conversations. What he REALLY wanted was some food.

"Man… it sure would be GREAT if somepony made me a sandwich." Alex said hopefully, looking at Spike with the best puppy dog eyes he could muster.

Spike looked at with the same puppy dog eyes Twilight.

Twilight looked at Alex, eyebrow raised.

"Uh… Maybe I'll ask Dash!" Alex said, but after a moment of thought, he changed his mind, "Mmmmmaybe not."

"I don't think she'd like that very much," Twilight laughed, "Besides, I think she's busy today."

"What's she doing?" Alex asked, having been fairly busy in his studies the last few days.

"She and Applejack are having some kind of competition." Twilight explained, "I don't really know the details, but they're doing it today."

"Wow," Alex said, "I figured I'd have heard something about it."

"It actually started over a game of horseshoes," Spike spoke up. "Rainbow was pretty sore about losing a game of them to Applejack."

"Sounds like her," Alex said, "Where are they?""

"They're at Sweet Apple Acres," Twilight said, "I'm actually on my way there now."

"Mind if I tag along?" Alex asked, "I'd love to be a cheerleader."

"Maybe THAT will be your Cutie Mark," Spike laughed.

"I doubt it," Alex said, getting up and heading toward the door, "I look terrible in a skirt."

Twilight giggled, "And how would you know that?"

"What happens in Manehattan STAYS in Manehattan." Alex laughed.

"I can picture it." Twilight said, "Come on, let's get going."

Alex nodded, and headed out the door, followed by Twilight and Spike.

/

Heading up the road toward Sweet Apple Acres, the three saw Applejack and Rainbow setting up some obstacles, for some kind of race.

"Hey guys!" Dash said, seeing that her friends had arrived.

"Hey Twi!" Applejack said, smiling.

"Hey girls," Twilight said, looking around the set up farm. "What exactly are you doing?"

"We're havin' a—" Applejack began.

"An ironpony competition!" Rainbow Dash cut off, as she started flexing her wings.

"See, we've set up a bunch of events to decide which of us is—" Applejack began again.

"Is the most athletic pony!" Dash finished.

"So… Why do you need me?" Twilight asked, a bit confused.

"Yeah!" Dash agreed, "Why do we need her?"

"Because we need somepony to judge and keep score!" Applejack said.

"Oh yeah!" Dash said, "Somepony has to record my awesomeness for the record books!"

"Riiiiiight." Alex said.

"Hey!" Dash said, "You'll be famous too!"

"Why…?" Alex asked.

"You'll be remembered as my stallion, of course!" Dash said.

"Oooooh, lucky me." Alex said sarcastically.

"Well, Rainbow, are you ready to get this show on the road?" Applejack asked.

"You bet your rump I am!" Dash said excitedly. "Let's do this!"

/

Alex sat and watched the girls compete for the next few hours, and was surprised at the sheer number of different things they were doing. However, something quickly became apparent to him, and he was surprised that Twilight hadn't spoken up about it.

Dash was using her wings in several of the competitions, and Applejack had to simply do without… It wasn't exactly fair. But… was he in the position to be telling Dash that she was being unfair? He felt like she would punch him or something. And that would put him in an abusive relationship!

…Okay, maybe not. But, he had clearly seen Applejack being frustrated by the disadvantage she was at. So, Alex was going to go talk to Dash at the end of this round, and hopefully get her to change her mind about using them.

Waiting patiently, Alex watched as Applejack tried her best to buck Spike off her back. However, being a pony and all, he was clearly weighing her down. He had simply lay down across her back, and put all of his weight on her. This event would have really worked out better if Spike were still a dragon.

After Applejack realized she wouldn't be bucking him off, she simply shook herself side to side until Spike slid off. Unfortunately, it took her a few too many seconds to figure out how to get him off, which gave Dash yet another advantage over her. She wouldn't make the same mistake.

Replacing Applejack, Rainbow Dash walked up to the collapsed Spike and gave a loud 'Ahem!'

"Yeah yeah…" Spike sighed, lifting himself up. "Let's try to do this fast."

As Spike draped himself over her back, Dash waited for her signal to start.

Just as Twilight blew the whistle, Dash extended her wings as best she could, and started to flap. She then lifted her front half up, and Spike slid right off.

Of course, Dash beat Applejacks score by those few seconds, giving her yet another point in her favor.

Seeing the increasing frustration being exhibited by Applejack, Alex decided that it was now or never.

"Hey Dash!" Alex shouted, hopping off the tipped over barrel he had been sitting on.

"Hey!" She answered happily, "Coming over to congratulate me?"

"Uh… Not exactly…" Alex said, being careful to choose the right words, "I think that you're kinda… Being unfair."

"Why? Because I'm so much more athletic than her?" Dash joked, "Because I can't disagree with you there!"

"Well… No," Alex said, scratching his head, "It's your wings…"

Dash cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you think it's a little unfair that you're using wings?" Alex asked, "I mean, she doesn't have wings to use!"

"That's her problem!" Dash retorted, "She agreed to this competition with me!"

"Look," Alex said, trying his best to formulate an argument, "What if Applejack was a unicorn, and used magic to complete the challenges?"

Dash didn't retort.

"Like, if she had levitated Spike off her back, and dropped him. Or, she had protected the chicks on her back with a magic field." Alex explained, "She's at a disadvantage here."

Dash thought about it. He WAS right; Applejack simply didn't have the ability to compete with her on certain levels.

"I guess…" Dash finally agreed.

"Finally!" Applejack cut in, "I can't believe it took y'all so long to see how unfair this whole shin 'dig was!"

"I wasn't sure if I should speak up…" Twilight said, "I thought it was just part of the rules."

"Well, I guess we weren't too clear on what the rules were." Dash said.

"Was it that hard to notice how unfair it was…?" Applejack sighed, "Anyway, where do we head from here?"

"Should we start again…?" Dash asked.

"Hmm…" Applejack thought, "Ah think that'd take too long."

"And all these events were maybe… A tiny bit of overkill." Twilight said.

"Maybe we could keep it simple…" Dash formulating an idea, "There is one thing we could do."

Walking toward a nearby tree, Dash demonstrated her idea by kicking the trunk with her hind leg, making a large amount of leaves fall to the ground.

"Um…" Applejack said, "What's that all about?"

"You know!" Dash said patting her hoof in the pile she made.

"You want to play in a pile of leaves?" Alex asked.

"No!" Dash said.

"Do you want to have a leaf raking competition?" Spike asked.

"That's a great idea!" Alex agreed, knowing that he was just bugging Dash at this point. "That'll prove the most athletic pony for sure!"

"I think she means 'The Running of the Leaves.'" Twilight cut in, smiling, "And I think it's a great idea!"

"Yeah!" Applejack agreed, "Just so long as no WINGS get used!"

"I don't need my wings!" Dash shot back, "I could beat you in the Running of the Leaves with my wings tied behind my back!"

"Oh, Sugar Cube," Applejack said, smirking, "Ah've jus' been WAITIN' for you to say that."

/

Applejack and Dash stood on the starting line for the Running of the Leaves, along with a dozen other ponies, each preparing themselves for the run ahead of them.

"Is the rope REALLY necessary?" Dash asked as Applejack secured the rope behind her.

"You said you could do it with em' tied behind yer back!" Applejack laughed, tightening the rope that was wrapped around Dash's wings.

Dash sighed and blew her hair out of her face. Since she hadn't had it cut in such a long time, it was constantly getting in her eyes. But, Alex liked it, so she wasn't too upset with it. And, as much as she hated to admit it, it was a plus on the feminine scale… that was for sure.

Alex approached the start line with Twilight, and was received with laughter from Dash and Applejack, upon seeing that they too had entered the race.

"You two are joking, right?" Dash asked.

"No offence Twi'," Applejack said, "But you don't seem like the runnin' type."

"And Alex!" Dash added, "Just last week, I saw you levitating yourself around town, because your leg was sore!"

"I fell out of the sky, and landed on you during a Wonderbolts race!" Alex said, "I think that counts for a few days of lazy!"

"I didn't see you limping after the race." Dash said.

"I barely noticed it," Alex said, "Once I had a chance to lie down a bit after we got back, it started to stiffen up a bit."

"Well, try not to hurt yourself again, then," Dash giggled, "I don't need you floating around anymore!"

"Are you sure that y'all want to do this?" Applejack asked seriously, still surprised they showed up.

"I've read a whole bunch on running," Twilight said, "So I think I've got a good chance!"

"Uh… This is a RACE, Twilight," Dash said, cracking up, "Not some test that you can study for!"

"I beg to differ!" Twilight said, "I think that reading will do me plenty of good!"

Applejack let out an audible snort, trying to hold back laughter.

Twilight sighed in frustration.

"Well, good luck, egg head." Dash said, laughing some more.

"IS EVERYPONY READY?" Pinkie bellowed from her hot air balloon, high above the action. "GET S—"

"Get set!" Spike said from that megaphone attached to the balloon that Pinkie seemed to have forgotten about.

"Oh… I forgot about that!" Pinkie was heard saying to Spike through the megaphone, "What was I supposed to say next…? Oh yeah! Go!"

Everypony was surprised to hear the sudden signal to start the race, but they still headed off in a hurry. And of course, leading the pack, were Rainbow and Applejack. It only took a few minutes for the two of them to pull away from everypony else.

Alex and Twilight kept pace with one another, and idly chatted about whatever came to their minds, while they watched Applejack and Rainbow Dash duel it out. However, a few minutes in, they watched Applejack come close to Dash in an attempt to pass her. However, she tripped over a large stone, and tumbled to a dead halt.

"Did y'all see that?" Applejack asked furiously.

"See… what?" Alex asked, stopping.

"She tripped me!" Applejack said angrily.

"No she didn't…" Twilight said, "You tripped over that rock."

"Huh…?" Applejack said, looking back, and seeing the rock that she had indeed run in to, "Aw, hayseed!"

"Sorry about that," Alex said, "But you probably want to get moving."

"Yeah, I have a LOT of ground to cover ah'm gonna catch—" Applejack said before being cut off.

"Hey Applejack!" Dash shouted from just ahead of them, "Are you coming or what? I can't have my competition tripping and falling way behind!"

Everypony was in awe, Dash had stopped! She must have taken that unfair advantage speech to heart.

"We'll start running together, from here, so hurry up!" Dash instructed.

Applejack simply walked forward, and nodded, still determined to win this race.

Alex and Twilight watched Applejack and Dash resume their race at full speed, then looked at each other, unable to find any words for each other.

"Did Dash just stop and be… fair?" Alex asked.

"Wow." Twilight said simply, "Will she still be that graceful if she comes in second place?"

"That's a good point…" Alex said, thinking for moment, "But, I think I have an idea on how to fix that."

"What's that?" Twilight asked.

"I could beat them both, so neither of them could come in first!" Alex said seriously, confusing Twilight.

"But… Are you even capable of winning this race?" Twilight asked.

"Well, I'm rarely out of breath unless it comes to magic," Alex said. "Running isn't so bad... I think that the air here has a higher oxygen content or something."

"Well, I'm all for it!" Twilight smiled, "I'd like to see the looks on their faces!"

"Alright!" Alex said picking up the pace, "I'll see you at the finish line!"

Twilight nodded and watched Alex run after the two ponies.

"Is he really going to be able to beat them?" Twilight said to herself.

"PROBABLY NOT!" Pinkie shouted from her balloon, "Oh right, megaphone! Thanks Spike!"

/

Applejack and Rainbow Dash had moved through the pack of ponies that had passed them, and were once again fighting with her for first place.

Alex had been trailing behind them for a few minutes now, but hadn't been noticed. He was trying to find the best moment to pull forward, and take a lead over them. Everypony else was so far behind, that they weren't even visible anymore. So, Alex knew that this was going to be down to the three of them.

Unfortunately, Alex was completely blindsided when Dash tripped over a small tree stump, and tumbled backward into him.

The two of them rolled into a pile of bushes just off the race track, and came to a stop with her on top of him.

"Ugh…" Dash said, lifting herself off of whoever she had landed on, "Sorry about that A—"

Dash did a double take, "Alex? What were you doing up this far?"

"I was racing," Alex laughed, "But I guess you kinda put an end to that."

Dash looked at him, confused.

Alex gestured to his left hind leg that Dash was currently on top of. Jumping off his leg, she realized just how hard she had landed on it. A spot on her back was aching from hitting something too hard, and that 'something' must have been his leg. And on top of that, that was the same leg that he had hurt before.

"Oh!" Dash said, "I'm sorry! It's because Applejack… Well… I guess I tripped over that stump. I wasn't really paying attention…"

Dash surprised herself somewhat with her admittance of the truth. Normally she would have convinced herself that Applejack had caused this, by knocking her into the stump or something. But… that would have led in a circle of blame, and cause nothing but fighting. She couldn't believe that she recognized that before she started the fight! After everything that had happened to her recently, the last thing she wanted to do was start a fight with her friends.

"It's okay." Alex said, grimacing as he stood up. "But you owe me!"

Dash rolled her eyes, "Fine, after the race I'll make you some soup and a sandwich."

Alex's eyes lit up, "You read my mind!"

"Once the race is over, though." Dash said, smiling at his enthusiasm.

Alex nodded.

Dash looked toward the race track seeing that Applejack was long gone, and then back to Alex. And for some reason that she couldn't fathom, she didn't care if she won this race. Sure, she knew Applejack would rub this in her face for the rest of their lives. But, for now, she was going to look after Alex. She could beat Applejack some other day.

"Come on," Dash said, "Let's walk to the finish line together."

"But… what about the race?" Alex asked, "I can handle myself, if you want to try to catch up to Applejack."

"No!" Dash said immediately, "I'll… I'll look after you."

It made her happy to say that.

Alex smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

/

Applejack stood at the finish line, completely perplexed, and feeling somewhat guilty. She had finished first place, no problem. But… Rainbow had wiped out, and she hadn't even stopped to see if she was okay. For all she knew, Dash broke her leg and was helplessly waiting for somepony to help her… Even after she had stopped for her.

The bulk of the crowd finally arrived at the finish line, Twilight included. So, Applejack decided to ask if she had seen Dash.

"Hey Twi!" Applejack said, running over to her. "Did you see Dash at all?"

Twilight smiled softly, "I did. She's just behind me."

"Is she hurt?" Applejack asked, "She fell an' I didn't stop to check on her…"

"Don't you ponies ever watch where you're going?" Twilight laughed, "But no, she's fine. She's with Alex, she hurt him when she tripped, so she's walking him over the finish line."

"Huh…?" Applejack said, a little shocked that she would stop racing on account of hurting somepony. "You sure that we're talkin' 'bout the same Rainbow Dash?"

"I am," Twilight smiled, "I'm pretty surprised myself, she's surprised us all today."

The two watched the race track as Dash and Alex finally appeared down the path. Alex walked with a slight hobble, and was being supported by Dash, who was right next to him keeping him held up. Of course, that was more of a ploy than anything. The two were simply happy to have an excuse to walk so close together. Alex really would have been fine on his own.

The two walked up to Applejack and Twilight, both expecting to hear some kind of gloat. However, there was silence instead.

Applejack wanted to gloat. She wanted to proclaim herself as the 'iron pony,' and the undisputed winner… but was she really? Dash had stopped to help her when she tripped, and then stopped to help Alex when he fell. She even walked him to the finish. Whether that was because he was her colt friend or not, was unimportant… She had still taken the time to make sure that both of her friends were okay, an attitude that she herself had lacked, when she didn't turn around to check on Dash after she tripped.

In retrospect, Dash was miles ahead of her, no matter where she finished.

"Gongrats, Dash." Applejack smiled, "I think you just won the title."

"Huh?" Dash asked, a little stunned, "But… You finished WAY before me…"

Twilight smiled and spoke up, "I think Applejack learned something about sportsmanship."

"Sportsmanship?" Alex asked.

"You stopped to help somepony that needed help," Twilight explained, "You put Alex before the race."

"Well, I… I guess that I would have helped anypony that really needed it." Dash admitted, "But Applejack would have to!"

"But I didn't…." Applejack said quietly, "Even after you stopped for me when ah tripped… Some dependable pony ah am…"

"What, that?" Dash said, "I didn't expect you to, I mean, I would have caught up anyway!"

"Still, it was wrong for me to do that, and I'm sorry." Applejack said.

Dash looked around, a bit surprised that this conversation was even happening. But, decided to accept it gracefully.

"It's alright Applejack." Dash said, "Next time we have a race, let's just keep it friendly, and not make it a competition... I feel like it brings out the worse in us"

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack agreed.

"Sounds good." Alex added.

"Yeah," Twilight said, "Sometimes competition can lead to everypony losing. Just as long as we play fair, and have fun, we can always have a good time!"

The four were satisfied with the way the race had turned out, and continued chatting about it, until they were cut off once again by the balloon in the sky.

"WHEN I SPEAK IN MY ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE, I DO NOT NEED A MEGAPHONE!" Princess Luna was clearly heard from the sky.

Looking up, Alex saw that she had sandwiched her way into the middle of the rather small basket that barely held Pinkie and Spike.

"SISTER, I WISH TO PURSUE A LIFE OF COMMENTATION." Luna shouted toward Celestia, who had appeared in front of Twilight and her friends, just as suddenly as Luna had appeared in the balloon.

Celestia giggled, "She can be quite playful sometimes."

"Princess!" The four said in unison, as they all bowed to her.

"Please, there is no need to be so formal," Celestia said, gesturing for them to stand up, "I simply came down to enjoy the running of the leaves. It's one of my favorite traditions, and you all seemed to do a wonderful job making the leaves fall."

"That's what we were doing?" Alex said to himself quietly.

"I saw what you did for your friend, Rainbow Dash, and I'm quite proud of you." Celestia said softly, "And you, Applejack as well."

"Yer proud of me?" Applejack asked, "But… I didn' do anythin'!"

"But you did," Celestia explained, "You realized what you had done wrong, and apologized for it."

Applejack nodded slowly, still not convinced.

"If we never make mistakes, we'll never learn from them." Celestia finished, "So don't be afraid to mess up some times."

"Thank ya kindly, Princess…" Applejack said, "That makes me feel a whole lot better."

"It's no problem, Applejack." Celestia smiled.

"I'M HAVING SUCH A GOOD TIME WITH MY FRIENDS!" Luna bellowed from the sky, even though Pinkie and Spike were somewhat squished in the basket.

"If you four will pardon me," Celestia said politely, "I need to remove my sister from the hot air balloon."

"Good luck," Alex said, "She seems to really like it up there."

"Indeed…" Celestia said, concentrating on the sky.

"Oh, Princess," Twilight said quickly, "Would you like for me to write to you about this lesson I just learned?"

"Of course not Twilight," Celestia said, not looking away from the sky, "I'm sure that you understand it."

Twilight nodded, before seeing the clear frustration in Celestia's face "Do you want some help getting her down?"

"…Please." Celestia said calmly, "I'm worried it might cause a scene if I levitate her out."

"I'll help too!" Applejack said, stepping forward.

Alex and Dash looked at each other and exchanged glances, formulating a plan.

"Alex, could you—" Twilight began, before turning around, and seeing the two teleport away.

"Oh, to be young and in love," Celestia said happily, "We can deal with Luna, let's leave them be."

Applejack giggled, "I may not be allowed to laugh over winnin', but I sure as heck can laugh at 'em fer runnin' off to make out every twenty minutes!"

"That's another valuable lesson." Celestia giggled.

"SISTER!" Luna bellowed again, "I WISH TO HAVE A CUPCAKE."

"A cupcake…?" Twilight said.

"NEVERMIND," Luna said immediately, "PINKIE HAS SUPPLIED ME WITH SIX—SEVEN! SHE HAD ONE IN HER TAIL!"

"Eww…" Twilight said.

"This is gonna be tougher than I thought…" Applejack sighed.

Celestia sighed. "Why did I even let her up there…?"

/

Please review if you can, i love to hear comments!


	34. The Case of the Missing Ponies

/

The Case of the Missing Ponies & Suited for Success: Part 1

/

Alex and Rainbow Dash had spent the remainder of their day together, after leaving their friends to deal with the Princess in the sky. They had gone back to the library, and she had prepared them sandwiches for dinner. Needless to say, Alex was happy with the outcome of the day. The sun was going to set, and nopony was back yet, giving the two plenty of alone time.

"I could get used to you cooking me dinner…" Alex said happily, polishing off the last of his lettuce and cheese sandwich, "Could have used some ham though…"

"Ham?" Dash asked.

"Oh, nothing." Alex said quickly, "It's a 'my world' thing."

Dash simply nodded.

Alex did miss meat a bit, but, ponies were vegetarian! So, there wasn't really much he could say without sounding… a little bucked up. So, simply, he was going to live a vegetarian life, as much as that made him a tiny bit sad.

"So," Dash started, "What next?"

"Well," Alex said, thinking to himself, "Spike and Twilight are out…"

Dash liked the sound of where he was going, "Well… If you really want to!"

"Yeah," Alex agreed, "We should go find them."

"Wait—What?" Dash asked, a little lost, "but… I thought…! Uh… Never mind."

"What were you thinking?" Alex said, raising an eyebrow and smiling.

Dash was silent.

"Daaaash." Alex coaxed.

"I- I thought you wanted to make out or something!" Dash blurted out, blushing heavily, and hiding her eyes behind her long hair.

"You. Are. Precious." Alex smiled, trying not to laugh, "Besides, we'd go to your place to do that. No surprise visitors… You'd just have to carry me up."

Dash giggled, looking up, "Sounds good to me!"

"Come on, let's go find our friends." Alex said, still grinning like an idiot.

"Keep acting like that, and we'll never make out!" Dash said, trying to conceal the embarrassment she still felt.

"Yeah right!" Alex laughed, "I couldn't keep you off of me if I tried!"

Dash knew that was mostly true, so, she decided to end the conversation there, as he would only make things worse from this point on. So, she walked to the door, opened it, and walked out.

"Are you coming?" Dash asked.

"Yeah," Alex said quickly, "Let's go!"

/

The two looked all over town for places that they might be: Sugercube Corner, The Carousel Boutique, and even Fluttershy's cottage. However, nopony had seen them since the race. So, now Rarity and Fluttershy had joined the party, and were helping them look around.

Alex had thought Pinkie would have helped them look, but she, and the Princesses were all missing, even though they were supposed to be at the library catching up with Twilight.

Had they all gone and done something together?

Where could they have even gone?

"I didn't think that they'd ACTUALLY be missing!" Dash said, "How in Equestria could we lose three ponies, and two Princesses?

"I hope my little Spike is alright…" Rarity said, genuinely concerned.

"You know he's bigger than you, right?" Dash asked.

"Oh yes, believe me, I know." Rarity swooned.

"I wonder where they could have gone…" Fluttershy said, "Does everypony want to go check the finish line of the race? Maybe there'll be a clue."

"That's a good idea," Alex said, "Since it's on the way to Sweet Apple Acres, we can check the farm after."

"Great!" Dash said, "Let's go!"

The four walked through town, checking various places on the way, but had no luck. So, they were holding their breath for the finish line, or most likely Sweet Apple Acres, since it made the most sense that they got held up there. The four speculated as to why they had been lost: Perhaps Granny Smith insisted that they eat a comically large dinner, and are all too full to walk. Or maybe they decided to help with late night chores. But in the end, nothing was really making much sense.

So, they kept on. As they neared the finish line, they started hearing some noises, and saw some lights flashing. Deciding that there may be some kind of danger, they all rushed ahead, with Fluttershy safely tucked in the back, of course.

Finally, the four arrived, and were in complete awe of what they saw when they got there.

"Luna!" Celestia shouted, "You've won! Just come down!"

"Yeah!" Spike agreed from beside Celestia, "I'm tired!"

"BUT SUBJECTS, I AM SO AMUSED!" Luna bellowed.

"Me too!" Pinkie said into the megaphone.

Alex couldn't believe this. Luna was still floating around in the hot air balloon with Spike and Pinkie. Twilight and Applejack were both clearly out of breath, and were lying on the ground.

Spike stood next to Princess Celestia, and had been trying to coax Luna down with her.

"W-what's going on?" Alex asked, wide eyed, "Is she really still up there?"

"I'm afraid so." Celestia said, "After the race, we decided to make a game out of getting the balloon down with magic, but Luna has countered my spells, and kept herself airborne…"

"Why is she calling you guys 'Subjects?'" Alex asked.

"Because she's proclaimed herself as the 'Queen of the Sky.'" Spike answered.

"I AM THE QUEEN OF THE SKY!" Luna immediately shouted triumphantly.

"Me too!" Pinkie said again.

"See?" Spike asked.

"Wow…" Dash said, "This… is not what I was expecting to find."

"Oh my goodness…" Rarity giggled.

"Can I be a Queen of the Sky…?" Flutershy asked timidly.

"OF COURSE!" Luna said.

"Don't encourage her Fluttershy…" Dash sighed, shaking her head.

"Oops, sorry." Fluttershy said, smiling.

Alex decided to play along, since they had clearly been here for hours, he would just end this here.

"Hey Luna! Can I play?" Alex asked.

"OF COURSE, SUBJECT!" Luna giggled, confident in her ability.

"Alex, that's a powerful shield," Celestia explained, "I can cast it myself, however, it's rather impervious to magic."

"All magic?" Alex asked, earning a strange look from Celestia, "Because, I know some… Different stuff."

Celestia simply nodded, and watched what he would do.

Luna and Celestia had always had friendly competitions between each other, however, they were both prideful ponies, and the 'friendly' part of the competitions often disappeared. Something Celestia found amusing, considering the lesson in friendship, her student had learned today regarding the exact same thing.

"Alright, go ahead," Celestia said, somewhat curious as to what he would try.

Alex cast a levitation spell and brought himself up to the balloon. However, he hit an invisible bubble a few feet away from the basket.

Now that he knew where the barrier was, he could cast the necessary spell.

Closing his eyes, Alex concentrated on that chaotic energy he had within himself, and focused a tiny bit of it into the tip of his horn. Luckily, since Dax had gone into remission, this power was much more manageable, and was even useable in certain circumstances.

Leaning forward, Alex lightly touched the tip of his horn to the shell around the balloon. And instantly, the entire thing cracked as if it were made of glass, and fell apart, dissipating just before it reached the ground.

"NO!" Luna and Pinkie both shouted.

Levitating the two of them out of the basket, and on to the ground, Alex then lifted himself up, and got in the balloon.

"Now I'm the Queen of the sky!" Alex laughed maniacally.

Everypony laughed, except Celestia and Luna. They were both a bit baffled.

"Sister…" Luna said, a bit of surprise in her voice, "He just harnessed both chaotic magic, and harmonious magic, as if they were no different to him."

Celestia nodded, "He is something different, indeed."

"He's learning much faster than we had all anticipated," Luna added.

"His powers are growing exponentially," Celestia said, "And he's going to be more powerful than any of us in a few months… He'll be the first being in history, to be able to challenge Discord on a magical level, without the assistance of the elements of harmony."

"Is this good?" Luna asked, "Or… bad?"

"I wish I knew," Celestia said, "We all saw the manifestation of those powers in his alter ego, Dax. So, whether that's a bad thing, or a good thing, I don't know."

"It seems difficult to believe that it could be good, sister." Luna sighed.

Celestia remained silent.

"That was impressive Alex," Twilight admitted, "What spell was that? The princess didn't even know it!"

"Oh, just one I… Read a couple days ago…" Alex lied, realizing that his using chaotic magic might be seen as 'irresponsible.'

"Well, I think it's time to go home." Spike said, "I'm tired, and I'm hungry!"

"We don't we all go back to the library to eat?" Twilight asked, "Spike's always happy to make us dinner!"

"I am?" Spike asked, frowning, "Crud."

"Don't worry, Darling," Rarity said, "I'll help you out."

"Well, we just ate." Dash said, "But I guess we could tag along."

"I'm in!" Pinkie shouted.

"Count me in, too!" Applejack said happily.

"I guess I could come too." Fluttershy said.

"How about you two?" Twilight asked the Princesses.

Celesta nodded, still somewhat lost in her thoughts.

"Great!" Twilight said, not noticing it, "Let's go!"

/

After a few minutes of Twilight frantically setting up the room, there was enough room for everypony to gather around, and have a place to eat.

The crowd talked about various things amongst each other as Spike and Rarity worked away in the kitchen, having promising to make something delicious.

"So, Twilight," Celestia began, turning away from her conversation with Luna, "Are you and your friends excited about the Gala?"

"Oh yes!" Pinkie cut in, "I'm SO excited!"

"I'm excited to see the garden," Fluttershy said, "I always love meeting new friends."

"An' ah jus' know I'll make a bunch 'a money sellin' some of my world famous sweets!" Applejack chimed in.

"What about you, Rainbow Dash?" Celestia asked.

"Well…" Dash pondered, "At first I wanted to meet the Wonderbolts, but, I've kinda already done that stuff."

"Did you meet the whole team at your training?" Twilight asked.

"Most of them," Dash answered, "But I guess it'd be nice to meet Soarin'."

"Who's that?" Alex asked, "Is she a good flier?"

"HE'S a GREAT flier," Dash corrected, "Only lost captain to Spitfire by a nose!"

"HE'S QUITE HANDSOME AS WELL!" Luna said, realizing that she was being a bit loud, "Ahem—I mean… He's quite the… Specimen."

The girls around the table all agreed. Even Dash nodded.

Alex didn't like the sound of that one bit!

"He's not the smartest though." Twilight said.

"He barely sleeps!" Dash cut in, "He's constantly training! That's why he seems a bit off."

"Well, hopefully he won't be too tired at the Gala." Celestia said to her.

"Even if he is, he'll be excited to see me!" Dash said triumphantly.

"How do you know…?" Alex asked.

"Well, I'm the mare that made out in the middle of a race with somepony!" Dash laughed, "I'm sure that I'm a legend within the Wonderbolts already."

"Well, I have heard talk of it." Celestia admitted, "Several ponies from the castle were at the race."

"I guess we'll just have to wait for the Gala to find out if he remembers you." Alex said, still just a teeny tiny bit jealous, "Which, you know, I'd be surprised if he did!"

Okay, maybe more than a 'teeny tiny bit.'

Just then Rarity walked to the table.

"Dinner will be ready soon," Rarity said, "I apologize for the amount of food there is. Spike made… A bit too much."

"Sounds good to me!" Alex said, getting a look from Dash.

"You just ate!" Dash said.

"That was like, an hour ago!" Alex said, "I'm a growing pony!"

"If you keep this up, you'll be a fatso in time for the Gala!" Dash scolded.

"You've been talking about the Gala?" Rarity asked, "Without me?"

"Not really," Twilight said, "We were just talking about what we'd do at it."

"Speaking of which, what are you going to do there, Rarity?" Celestia asked.

"Well, I plan on making myself a fabulous dress, and being the talk of the night!" Rarity said, ambitiously.

"That's quite the plan," Celestia laughed softly.

"Speaking of dresses, could you fix mine?" Twilight asked, "I'm glad I remembered this, while you're here!"

Everypony watched Twilight leave the table, and run upstairs, returning a moment later, levitating a rather plain looking red dress, that had a few poorly placed frills, and a loose button.

Twilight trotted over to Rarity, and grabbed the dress out of the air with her mouth, smiling brightly.

"Oh my…" Rarity said, inspecting the rather sad excuse for a gala dress, "You… Plan to wear this?"

Twilight dropped the dress on the table, next to Celestia, "Yup! It just needs a button sewn back on."

Rarity bit her lip, "I'm afraid that this dress is beyond my ability to fix…"

Twilight was shocked, how could that possibly be?

Celestia laughed.

"So, I'll just have to make you an entirely new one!" Rarity finished, winking.

"I get it," Twilight laughed, "But you don't have to do that. This dress will be fine."

"No, dear." Rarity said, "I insist! I won't take 'no' for an answer!"

Twilight looked around the room, and saw all of the ponies anxiously waiting for her to agree.

"I… Guess?" Twilight finally said.

"Wonderful!" Rarity said, happy to be rid of that awful dress.

"Thank you, Rarity." Twilight said, "Thanks incredibly generous."

Looking around the room at all of her friends, she suddenly had an idea.

"Ideaaa!" Rarity sang, "I should make everypony a dress!"

"All of us?" Fluttershy asked, "But… Do you have the time to do all of that?"

"Of course!" Rarity said, loving this idea more and more.

"Sister…" Luna whispered, "I wish to have a dress."

"Well, I suppose I could have something made for you." Celestia answered.

"Wonderful!" Luna said, giddy at the thought.

"Remember, I won't need one!" Dash said to Rarity, "I still have mine from Manehattan."

"Of course you'll need a new one!" Rarity exclaimed, "You can't wear the same dress to two different events, if they're in different seasons!"

"Is that really a rule?" Alex asked.

"Just go with it," Dash whispered, "And, thanks a bunch!"

"Exactly!" Rarity said happily, "Now, everypony needs to come over tomorrow, and tell me what kind of design you'd like!"

"Okay!" Everypony, including Alex, said at once.

"Not you, dear," Rarity said, looking to Alex, "You'd look dreadful in a dress."

"I was only saying 'Okay' because everypony else did…"Alex pouted.

Dinner was served quickly after that… It was some kind of fancy salad that was all the rage in Canterlot, according to Rarity. But, to Alex, it still tasted like green. As generic as the term sounded, it fit. Green was the taste of every salad he had ever eaten. But, there was an odd taste he couldn't quite put his hoof on. Something… Chewy and bland.

"How are you liking it, Alex?" Spike asked, "I worked hard!"

Seeing the pleading look in Spike's eyes, Alex could almost feel the food start to taste better.

"It's great!" Alex exaggerated, "You'll have to make it for me again sometime!"

"I will!" Spike said happily.

"You eat far too many cupcakes," Rarity said, "Some salad would do you some good."

"I can eat anything as long as there's no hay or anything like that," Alex replied, "I don't think I could ever bring myself to eat it."

"I'll keep that in mind…" Spike said, wide eyed, "For… next time…"

"There's hay in here?!" Alex asked, shocked, before composing himself, "Dang… I knew I tasted something funny."

The girls all started laughing.

"Well that's enough for me!" Alex said, standing up.

"Yeah, I gonna head back myself." Rainbow Dash said, "I'm pretty tired after the race."

"Ah'm not tired!" Applejack boasted, "Unless, yer tired because you were doin' somethin' else AFTER the race!"

Dash rolled her eyes, "Very funny!"

Alex's expression was blank, before suddenly lighting up, "Oh! I get it!"

"Sheesh…" Dash sighed, as everypony erupted in laughter, "Come on, Alex! See me out."

Alex nodded, walking away from the laughing group, he followed behind Dash until they were outside the Library.

"You're too stupid," Dash giggled, hitting Alex lightly on the shoulder.

"I just took a second," Alex confessed, "I'm still a bit shocked all you ponies are capable of being… inappropriate!"

"Well, of course we can be!" Dash laughed, "Is that so different in your world?"

"Well, no," Alex said, "My world is filled with it! In fact, it's way worse!"

"So… What's the problem?" Dash asked.

"Well, you're just… so cute!" Alex explained, causing Dash to blush.

"Oh, well… If you say so!" Dash said nervously.

Alex didn't exactly mean it that way, but if that's how she took it, he was going to just roll with it.

"You don't sound convinced." Alex said.

"Well, nopony's really ever said that to me..." Dash admitted, "I mean, I know I'm not ugly… But am I really cute?"

"Colors, let me tell you right now," Alex said confidently, "You're cute. Dang cute, if I may say so."

Dash stayed silent and absorbed the complement.

"Your colorful mane, your cracking voice, your eyes, when you're a little unsure of yourself… Even your 'I'm better than you' attitude," Alex listed, "It's all just… Adorable."

"Thank you." Dash whispered, looking bashfully to the side.

Alex remained silent until she finally made eye contact with him, still looking a tiny bit unsure of herself.

"Like now!" Alex laughed, using a hoof to raise her chin up, "Even if you don't fully buy it now, I'll just keep saying it till' it sinks in!"

And with that, Alex leaned in and kissed her.

Feeling a bit better about now, Dash simply let herself go, and melted into him.

The two could have continued for some time, however, they were quickly interrupted by a collective "Aww!" From the front door of the library.

Immediately breaking apart, they both blushed.

Everypony, save Rarity and Spike, were at the door, watching the scene before them unravel.

"Don't mind us!" Pinkie said happily.

"Please don't." Luna agreed, smiling.

"How long have you guys been there?" Dash asked quickly, realizing all that Alex had said to her.

"For… A while." Fluttershy said.

The girls started to snicker.

"This is so embarrassing…" Dash muttered, rubbing her hoof on her forehead.

"Why?" Alex asked her, "The first time we kissed, we LITERALLY had an audience."

"It's not that… It was all the 'cute' stuff." Dash said to him quietly.

"Right…" Alex said, "Because they all have stallions calling them cute ALL the time, right?"

The snickering stopped.

"Well… Not exactly…" Twilight said, seeing his point.

"He's right about that," Celestia laughed, "Dash is doing better than all of you in that department!"

"Not better than I!" Luna said happily, "I overhear guards speaking of me quite often!"

"You… do?" Celestia asked, surprised.

"Indeed!" Luna beamed, "They always speak of my attractive dark coat, and my temperature being high!"

"High… temperature?" Dash asked.

"Do ya mean that they said that yer 'hot'?" Applejack asked.

"Yes!" Luna agreed, "That was it!"

"Do they mention me…?" Celestia asked somewhat hopefully.

"Yes!" Luna said, "They mention your temperature too!"

"Well," Celestia said, hiding a blush, "They really shouldn't—"

"They say that you are 'cold!'" Luna said happily, not knowing the meaning of the word in that context.

"Oh…" Celestia said, saddened slightly, "That's… Not much of a surprise when I think about it…"

The silence in the group was heavy.

"Well… I'd better get going…" Dash said.

"As should we," Celestia said, "I have something I need to take care of at the castle."

"Alright, Princess," Twilight said, "I'll walk with you back to your carriage."

"Thank you," Celestia said, as she moved out of the group, "It was lovely seeing you all."

"Yes! I greatly enjoyed myself!" Luna said happily, "I hope that we may rule the sky once more, Pinky!"

"Me too!" Pinkie beamed.

"Bye Princess's" Applejack said.

"I hope to see you again soon!" Fluttershy said happily.

"Have a nice night." Alex said politely.

Dash simply smiled and nodded to them.

And with that, Twilight headed off with them.

"I'd better be going too." Dash said, turning to Alex.

"Sure," Alex said, leaning in, and giving her another kiss, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Well, I might be busy with Rarity," Dash explained, "But we'll hang tomorrow night, okay?"

"Oh, I actually have plans with another girl." Alex joked.

"You'd better not!" Dash laughed, softly hitting the side of his head.

"Okay, okay!" Alex said, feigning surrender, "You win, master."

"That's better!" Dash smiled, as she started heading away, "I'll see you girls tomorrow!"

They all waved goodbye as she headed away from sight, into the darkness.

"And with that, I'm off to bed!" Alex said, realizing just how beat he was from all that had gone on today, "I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"Sure will!" Pinkie said.

The rest of the girls each said something else, but Alex was already passing out. So, he headed into his room, and dropped himself on the bed, falling asleep only seconds after hitting the pillow.

/

Please review! I lurrrve reviews!

I'll be posting tomorrow as well!


	35. Suited for Success

/

Suited for Success – Part 2

/

The next few days flew by as Rarity worked hard on the dresses for her friends. Alex was rather ignorant to it, however. He had simply gone along with his studies, hearing little bits from Twilight or Dash as they had their usual conversations.

At some point, they had decided to have a large fashion show to show off the dresses. And as they day quickly arrived, Alex was actually pretty excited to see how they had all come out. Just as long as he didn't screw anything up, he would be taking one of those girls to the Gala. And it would be great to see her all made up, as she had been after they had reunited in Manehattan.

But, as time passed, Alex noticed Rarity become increasingly upset with the work she had been doing. Something that Alex found hard to believe, considering how much pleasure she took in dress making. However, Spike confirmed it himself. She had been upset with something regarding the upcoming show, but she hadn't told him why.

So, they decided to meet up a few hours before the show, and go over a few things regarding Rarity.

"I just wish I could make her feel better…" Spike sighed.

"What could possibly be bugging her?" Alex asked.

"I don't know!" Spike said desperately, "She's so tight lipped about the whole thing…"

"Maybe she's wants some attention on the show!" Alex suggested, "It seems like it'll be a pretty quiet event."

"Really?" Spike asked, "I think that gives me an idea!"

"What?" Alex asked.

"I remember Rarity mentioning some pony coming to town…" Spike said, scratching his head, "I think his name was… Hoity Toity?"

"Oh, I think I remember hearing that name, back in Manehattan!" Alex said, "He's a big name in the fashion world!"

"Yeah!" Spike agreed, "Rarity said that she would have loved to show off some of her designs to him, but she didn't dare approach him, and waste his time."

"Do you think we could convince him?" Alex asked.

"We're pretty persuasive ponies," Spike said confidently, "I think that this'll be a walk in the park!"

"For sure!" Alex said, genuinely believing that he was persuasive, "Remember the time we convinced that one pony to… Uh…"

Spike was silent for a minute, "I can't think of any particular time myself that we persuaded anypony, but that's probably because we do it so often."

"That makes perfect sense," Alex said, being a bit of a meat head, "I'm surprised we don't have cutie marks in persuasion!"

"Me too!" Spike agreed.

"Well, we should get going!" Alex said, before realizing how little they actually knew about the pony, "Where are we going anyway…?"

"Oh! I know where he's staying too!" Spike said excitedly.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Alex asked, "Let's grab him before the show starts!"

"Right!" Spike said, running to the front door, "I hope we don't miss the show!"

"Don't worry, Spike," Alex said, walking out and closing the door behind him. "We'll make it, and we'll make Rarity feel better. I'm sure."

/

He two headed to the edge of town, to some kind of fancy hotel that Alex had only seen a few times. It made sense that a big name in fashion would be staying in a place like this. It wasn't huge, but it had a few levels, and was able to hold a few hundred ponies.

They stood outside the building, and decided to work things over.

"So, what's our plan of attack?" Alex asked.

"Well, we could bust in to his room, and DEMAND that he come with us!" Spike suggested.

"Nonono," Alex said quickly, "We need to persuade him!"

"Oh yeah!" Spike remembered, "We should bust down his door, then ask nicely, right?"

Alex looked at Spike with narrowed eyes, his voice of reason being drowned out by his being male-brain.

"Exactly."

/

Alex and Spike walked into the lobby of the hotel, and approached the receptionist.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Alex said to the older looking mare behind the desk.

"Yes?" She asked politely, "How may I help you?"

"Could you tell us which room Hoity Toity was staying in?" Alex asked.

"I'm very sorry," She declined, "I'm not allowed to give out room information..."

Spike leaned in close to Alex and whispered confidently in his ear, "I've got this."

Alex stepped back and watched Spike go to work.

"Now, I know that it may be bending a few rules," Spike said wiggling his eyebrows, "But couldn't a beautiful young mare like yourself, make an exception? It's very important!"

Alex was shocked.

"Well… I guess if it's important," She giggled, blushing visibly "He's up in 401, our royalty suite."

"Thanks." Spike said, winking. "Come on, Alex, let's go."

Once the two were out of earshot of the clerk, Alex just had to ask, "Dude! That was… Amazing!"

"Thanks," Spike smiled, "Rarity has kinda taught me how to speak to her in public."

"That sounds… Uh… Good?" Alex said, unsure of what to say.

"I know how it sounds," Spike laughed, "But it's mostly just so she can show me off, we talk normally most of the time."

Alex laughed, "That sounds like Rarity."

They reached the stairwell, and headed upward until they reached the fourth floor. Then, after a short walk down the hall, they reached room 401, the Royalty Suite.

"Are you ready?" Alex asked, using a door unlocking spell, "On three, we'll run in, and convince the crap out of him!"

"Yeah!" Spike said.

"Alright… One… Two… THREE!" And with that Alex opened the door, and rushed into the room with Spike.

Needless to say, what happened next, was not as graceful as either of them had intended. As soon as they saw the well-dressed silver maned pony, they both immediately started shouting and meshing non-coherent sentences over one another, sending unpleasant amounts of spit toward him, and giving him the craziest pair of 'crazy eyes' that anypony had EVER seen.

Finally, they both shouted, "COME WITH US!" In unison.

Their main goal had been to make him see that he needed to go with them. Unfortunately, all that they accomplished was making Hoity Toity think that he was being kidnapped.

"W-what do you want?" Hoity Toity asked, clearly shaking, "All my money is on the shelf behind you!"

Alex and Spike looked at each other, seeing that they had done this wrong.

Leaning over to Alex, Spike whispered in his ear again, "Let me handle this."

Alex nodded, ready to see Spike work his magic again.

"Sorry if we startled you," Spike started, speaking as smoothly as he could, "But, we just wanted to know if a handsome, young stallion such as yourself would like to accompany us to a show."

Alex face-hooved.

"Are you two… Propositioning me…?" Hoity Toity asked, completely lost in the situation.

"Is that another word for convince?" Spike asked, scratching his head.

Alex sighed "I'll take it from here, Spike."

"Our friend, Rarity is having a fashion show, and it would mean the world to her if you came." Alex said, knowing that their chances were probably blown.

"The dress show?" Hoity Toity asked, "I was just on my way to that now!"

"…You were already planning on going?" Alex asked.

"Yes!" He answered, "I've heard good things about this mare! I've decided to see her work for myself."

"Oh…" Alex said, "Well that's embarrassing."

"Mhmm." Hoity answered simply.

"Well, I guess we'd better get out of here then!" Alex laughed nervously, "Let's go, Spike!"

"Hey, would it be okay if we bummed a ride?" Spike asked.

"He already thinks we were trying to bum something else," Alex said, levitating Spike off the floor, "Let's go. We can walk."

"Aww..." Spike said, before turning to Hoity Toity and smiling, "We'll see you there!"

"Great." Hoity Toity answered.

/

"What do you mean, it only works on mares?" Spike asked, as they headed back toward the Carousel Boutique.

"You don't call stallions handsome!" Alex scolded, "He thought you were hitting on him!"

"Hitting on him?" Spike asked, "But… Oh… I guess I can see how he MIGHT have thought that."

Alex sighed.

"Well, so much for persuasion Cutie Marks," Alex said, inspecting his rump, "We'll have to report back to the girls on this one."

"How far are we?" Spike asked, knowing that they had come a long way to get here.

"Pretty far… And Hoity Toity's carriage went by a while ago." Alex said.

"Look at the time!" Spike nearly shouted, pointing up to the clock tower.

"Oh crap!" Alex said, "Well… Do you want to try a teleportation spell?"

"What do you mean… 'try?'" Spike asked.

"Well, I haven't exactly mastered it yet, we might end up in a very different place." Alex explained. "All I've mastered is teleporting to what I can SEE."

"Can't you fly us?" Spike asked.

"I can't fly us… I can only glide…" Alex said, thinking to himself, "But that gives me an idea! Hop on my back!"

Nervously, Spike climbed onto Alex's back, and rode him Human style.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Spike asked, seeing Alex start to concentrate.

"Yeah!" Alex answered, "Of course!"

Instantly, they were no longer on the ground, Alex had teleported them high into the sky.

"W-what are you doing?" Spike shouted over the air ripping past them as they plummeted.

Spreading his wings, Alex pulled them even, so that he could glide them. Unfortunately, it was too tough for him to do this with the extra weight, which gave him another idea.

Levitating Spike off his back, Alex held him in front of him, as he glided himself quickly over the town below them.

Spike did not like this.

"You'dBetterNotDropMeAlex!" Spike screamed for his life.

"Just enjoy the night air!" Alex laughed, dipping slightly to increase his speed, making Spike start to flail.

"DON'T DROP LIKE THAT!" Spike shouted, waving his arms wildly.

"Stop fidgeting!" Alex shouted to him, "I can't keep you steady!"

Spike either didn't hear him, or didn't listen, as he continued to freak out, which made Alex lose his hold on him.

Spike, much to his fears, started falling toward the ground.

Alex could see the stage for the show from here, so he knew he could teleport them there, if he could just get a hold of Spike.

Pointing himself toward Spike, Alex teleported himself to the free falling pony, and wrapped his hooves around him.

That didn't stop Spike from flailing, however. He continued, as much as Alex told him to just calm down.

This also stopped Alex from making a proper teleportation. Still, he was going to try his best.

Had you been watching this happen from a distance, you would have seen Alex and Spike start frantically teleporting in every direction as he tried to steer them toward the show.

Finally, Alex got them on track, and was going to put them right on the ground with his teleport. Unfortunately, a stray hoof from Spike hit Alex in the face, which had them teleport a few feet short, from the stage.

So, instead of hitting the ground nicely, they went flying into the side of the stage, taking out the support beam on the left side, causing the other support beam to collapse sideways, and land on the runway, breaking the floor where it landed, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere.

Alex and Spike landed backstage in a heap in front of the six girls, who were all looking at them in shock.

Alex opened his mouth to say something, but the tent that housed the backstage collapsed on all of them.

"I think we're in trouble…" Spike whispered to Alex.

"You'd better be able to sweet talk us out of this…" Alex said.

The tent was levitated off of them by Twilight, as rolled it into a large ball, and placed it on the ground a short distance away.

"You two." Twilight said, "Inside. Now."

Alex and Spike complied, walking silently past the harsh looks from their friends as they entered Carousel Boutique. The only pony who didn't show them a hard look was Rarity, who was just stunned standing next to the entrance.

"Sorry," Spike whispered, passing her.

The two sat down in the front of the shop, and waited for their punishment.

/

Of course, the girls had taken their sweet time outside. Making Alex and Spike feel every agonizing second of time pass. Finally, Twilight, followed by Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, And Rarity entered the Boutique.

"I've told everypony that the show has been postponed until tomorrow night…" Rarity said sadly, "This is still going to happen…"

The other five girls were all relieved that everypony was so understanding.

However, it didn't take long before they all turned their rage back toward the boys.

"Just WHAT do you two think you were doing?" Twilight said angrily.

"Y'all almost RUINED Rarity's work!" Applejack scolded.

"Not to mention my shining moment!" Dash added.

"You meanies!" Pinkie huffed.

"You could have hurt somepony!" Fluttershy shouted, scaring Alex and Spike worse than any of the other girls had.

Alex, Spike, and all the other girls looked to Rarity, expecting the worst to come from her. However, she was silent.

"Well, Rarity?" Twilight asked, "Don't you have anything to say?"

Rarity remained silent.

"She's Speechless!" Applejack shouted.

"I'm sorry I ruined your show Rarity," Spike said earnestly, "I… was really trying my best to help!"

"Thank you…" She said quietly.

"Come again?" Dash said.

Running over to Spike, Rarity levitated him off the ground, and kissed him happily.

"Uh…" Alex said looking to the girls, noticing how funny they were dressed, "What?"

The girls had no answer for him.

Pulling away from him, Rarity smiled wholeheartedly, "My Stallion in Shining Armor."

"You're… Welcome?" Spike said, still expecting something bad to happen.

"Rarity… what are you doing?" Twilight asked, "They ruined everything!"

"I don't think we did…" Alex spoke up, "What in Equestria are you girls wearing?"

"Our dresses!" Pinkie said, still angry.

"Yeah… Yeah I get it." Alex said, piecing it together rather easily.

"Get what?" Dash asked.

"You guys…" Alex said, hoping that he didn't insult Rarity, "Those dresses are BUTT ugly."

"What?!" Fluttershy shouted, making Alex recoil, "Rarity worked hard on these!"

It was harsh, but totally true. Each girl wore an overelaborate dress that simply looked hideous. Rainbow Dash looked like a gladiator, Fluttershy was wearing a birds nest on her head, Applejack was wearing big yellow boots, and a big red hat to match, Pinkie was covered in candy and balloons, and Twilight was covered in accurate star constellations... It was a train wreck.

"I don't get that part…" Alex said, "Why did you make them like this? I KNOW you do better work than this."

Rarity looked nervously from one friend to the next, "I'm sorry everypony… But I'm deeply ashamed of those dresses."

"You are?!" They all asked.

"Yes…" Rarity said, "You all kept asking me to change them again and again… until, well, they turned into… those."

The girls looked between each other at what they were wearing, and were finally starting to get it themselves.

"I think the big red hat is overkill…" Alex said to Applejack, who blushed, and quickly removed it.

"I…Guess we can see how you may have been afraid to show these off." Twilight said nervously.

"I'm terribly sorry girls… those ARE the dresses you wanted, and I'm so upset about them." Rarity said sadly.

"No, Rarity," Twilight spoke up, "You were doing us a favor, and we took advantage of you by demanding so many changes…"

"Sorry, Sugarcube…" Applejack said sadly.

"I didn't know I was making you frown!" Pinkie said desperately, "I'm supposed to make you smile!"

"I should have trusted your stitching…" Fluttershy said, confusing everypony.

"There is such a thing as TOO much awesome." Dash admitted.

"Thank you for understanding," Rarity said happily, smiling for what felt like the first time in weeks.

"Do you still have the first dresses you made us?" Twilight asked hopefully.

Rarity smiled, "Of course I do."

"What about your dress?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh yeah!" Dash almost shouted, "You don't have one, do you?"

"Well, I…" Rarity began.

"Do you want some help?" Twilight asked.

"Help with what, dear?" Rarity asked.

"Makin' the dress!" Applejack said,

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Rarity said, "Besides, it's only half done, and the show is tomorrow."

"We'd better get to work then!" Pinkie said, badly wanting to make things up to her.

Seeing that her friends weren't going to back down, she smiled, and caved in.

"Alright… If you all insist!" Rarity said happily.

Alex and Spike looked at each other, convinced that they were in the clear.

'We're good!' Alex mouthed to Spike, happy to be out of trouble.

Spike nodded, then spoke up, "I think the heroes deserve a meal in celebration!"

Alex face-hooved again.

"Don't think this means that you're out of trouble!" Twilight said, suddenly angry again, "You could have hurt somepony!"

"Whoops," Spike said. "Sorry, Alex."

Alex leaned the back of his head against a counter and closed his eyes. Everypony was saying something to him about safety… And he loved it. Having so many ponies care about him enough to get mad at him for doing dumb stuff was amazing. He had lost one family and gotten another in return. If his parents were up somewhere looking down on him, he was sure that they were happy with his situation, as completely messed up as it was.

Opening his eyes, Alex started apologizing for everything he had done wrong. He promised not to do it again as much as he knew that it would probably happen anyway. Finally, when everypony was done apologizing, scolding, and whatever else, they finally headed home, wanting to get plenty of sleep for the fashion show tomorrow.

And of course, the next day, the fashion show was a huge success. Rarity had shown off the original dresses she had designed, along with a dazzling magic performance from her, illustrating a magical background for each dress, until finally, Rarity walked out on stage in her dress. The one that everypony had pitched in to help her make as an apology for being so rude to her. This earned her a massive amount of cheering from the audience. And, to put a cheery on top of the whole situation, Hoity Toity came up to her after the show, and told her to expect work from him in the future.

As he walked away from her, Alex and Spike smiled, seeing how happy Rarity had become. Even though it was completely unintentional, they had made Rarity feel better.

Giving each other a bro-hoof, Alex and Spike smiled to one another. However, their victory was interrupted by Hoity Toity approaching them, and smiling.

"If either—or both of you wanted to go to a show, next time I'm in town, feel free to stop by the hotel." Hoity Toity said winking.

Alex and Spike both frowned.

Spike leaned to Alex's ear.

"Teleport us…" Spike whispered desperately, "Do it now."

And with that, the two disappeared in a flash of light, escaping from the awkward situation. It was after they teleported to safety, that they vowed to never speak of it again.

They would take it to their graves.

/

Feel free to review! I like those!


	36. A Sudden Journey

/

**A Sudden Journey**

/

Everything was so… Empty. All the work he had put in to stopping the future from happening… From stopping Discord… It was gone. What was left to do?

The Doctor sighed, looking up to the ceiling of his ship, from his spot where he lay on the floor.

He had put months of time into trying to stop Alex, but in the end, he simply let him go. Of course… If that alter ego of his hadn't manifested to save him, who knows what would have happened.

"Who am I kidding…" The Doctor said to himself, "I never could have killed him."

He had heard her voice the whole time. He'd never be able to face her again if he had done something like that to an innocent bystander. Derpy was the angel on his shoulder.

But… what was there to do now?

Maybe he should go apologize to Alex…

No, he couldn't. Alex would probably kill him on sight.

All of his work over the past two years had been undone. The ponies he had saved, across time and space were now un-saved. Being pulled into a new universe had a nasty way of doing that. So, it looked like he had work to do.

Standing up, The Doctor looked at the control panel for his ship, and thought about where he should go first. He could destroy some Cyberponies, maybe rescue a stranded waste disposal ship, or even go stop a malevolent beast that claimed to be the devil himself.

However, as he considered these things, something quickly came to mind. He didn't have his companion.

The first time, they had run into each other during one of his many adventures saving Equestria… An adventure that simply hadn't happened in this time line.

Now, Derpy lived a quiet life delivering packages, and occasionally leading birds in the wrong direction, during the winter wrap up. She was adorable. He had always wanted to approach her again, and try to explain things to her, but he couldn't imagine it going well.

"Hey, Derpy!" The Doctor practiced, "Would you like to travel with me in my box?"

Creepy.

He had awaited some kind of emergency to come up, so he could 'accidentally' rope her into it… After all, she always talked about how much better life was, after doing all they did.

'Hero' definitely sound better than 'delivery-pony'.

That was all in the past now… Or future… He didn't even know anymore.

Maybe it was time for him to find a somepony new. Go off, find a crisis, find the prettiest mare, and 'reluctantly' accepts her help with the situation, when they get separated and she gets put in danger, he comes to the rescue and saves her. Then, she insists she comes along, and he finally caves and lets her.

But… He didn't want anypony else.

Nopony had been as good as she had been.

Looking to the door, The Doctor decided to take a walk. Maybe he could clear his mind some.

Walking to the door, he looked back at the center of the TARDIS. He had never liked the quiet that came along with being alone… he was going to have to change that, one way or another.

/

The Doctor simply walked down the road just outside of town. His mind had wandered to many places, but it had stopped on Alex for a few minutes.

Alex had apparently gone to Manehattan after Rainbow Dash, and fought tooth and nail to get her back, as he had accidentally moved them a few months into the future… something he had a habit of doing.

He remembered hearing the story second-hoof, when a few ponies were discussing it loudly.

It made him happy to know that something positive had come out of Alex's presence.

Rainbow Dash seemed much happier with him around, than she was in the old timeline. He wondered where they'd end up in a few years. Well, that WAS if they could stop the return of Discord.

Normally, The Doctor would have been confidant in the girls ability to stop Discord, but with Alex here, the future had completely changed.

And it was something that the Doctor worried about.

Celestia had just assumed that Alex's element 'selflessness' had been created for him, by the Elements of Harmony. However, she was wrong.

The Elements of Harmony were still a bit of a mystery to her. Only the Doctor knew the whole truth of them.

Alex represented something else. A different kind of element. One of chaos.

How had he gotten the element of selflessness in the first place? The Doctor couldn't figure that out. Alex was new to Equestria. He hadn't had any kind of interaction with this world before a few months ago. So, how had an Element of Chaos chosen him?

Selflessness had never been considered an Element of Harmony in his version of Equestria. So, the most he could gather, was that something had happened in the past, to convince Celestia that Selflessness was an Element of Harmony.

He just had zero idea what that could have possibly been.

"I wonder if maybe—" The Doctor said, before somepony fell out of the sky, and landed on his back.

"Whoops!" The voice said, in a nasally tone, "I'm sorry! I didn't see you!"

The Doctor immediately knew that voice.

Turning his head, The Doctor saw the grey pony that was currently lying across his back hanging off of him on either side.

"Derpy!" The Doctor said happily, before realizing that she had no idea who he was.

"Oh… Uh…" Derpy said, trying to remember just who this pony was, "You fixed my wagon… Right?"

"No no!" The Doctor said quickly, "I just… You're just so famous!"

"I am?!" Derpy asked happily, unaware of her fame until this moment.

"Well… To some ponies…" The Doctor added.

Derpy simply lay on his back, and hummed to herself absent mindedly.

"So… What are you up to, right now?" The Doctor asked, trying to make this conversation last as long as possible.

"Oh right!" Derpy said, "I'm delivering this!"

Reaching into her bag, while still balanced on his back, Derpy pulled out a letter.

"Who is it for?" The Doctor asked.

"Aaaalex." Derpy read, "That's all it says!"

"Like, the Alex in this town?" The Doctor asked, shocked at the coincidence.

"Yup!" Derpy chirped, "I'm on my way to him right now!"

"But… The Library is on the other side of town." The Doctor said, "Why are you all the way out here?"

"The other side of town?" Derpy asked, "Wow!"

The Doctor laughed to himself. She was clueless sometimes, but he loved that. And it always seemed to work to their advantage in one way or another.

"Would you like me to take you over there?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah!" Derpy smiled, "Thanks a whole lot! Do you mind if I just lie here? My wings are sore."

Derpy had just fallen on him… While delivering a letter to Alex…

This was a sign… It looked like he was going to have his conversation with Alex, even if he was going to get killed over it.

"Sure." The Doctor laughed, "I need to have a few words with Alex myself."

Not wanted an awkward silence to fill the air, the Doctor immediately spoke up.

"Why did you fall, anyway?" The Doctor asked realizing that he didn't even know what led to her landing on him.

"Something hit me, and I fell!" Derpy explained somewhat, poorly.

"Well," The Doctor laughed deciding that silence might be better, "Just relax! I'll take us to the library."

"Thanks!" Derpy smiled, not even questioning her trust in him. Something just seemed right about his presence. So, she was going to enjoy it while she could. And maybe get a nap in on the way to the Library.

/

Two weeks had passed since Alex and Spike had saved Rarity from the horrible dress incident, and they were still riding the wave of appreciation from their marefriends.

Rarity had been extra affectionate with Spike, often complementing him, and cuddling him in front of their friends.

Rainbow Dash had taken a slightly less obvious path, and simply tried her best to take care of Alex, since he seemed shaken up over something. It was almost like he had been hit on by a stallion or something. Of course, that's just silly.

And since Twilight had gone out for a few hours today, Dash had taken the opportunity to head over to the library, and hang out with Alex.

They were currently sitting on the floor, resting their backs on a bookshelf.

"You know, we should head to my place one of these days," Dash said, "I really want to show you around."

"I know I said that I wanted to be carried up, last time we discussed this," Alex began, scratching his chin, "But I was mostly joking."

"Does it make you feel like less of a stallion, to have a mare lift you?" Dash teased.

"You're WAY manlier than me to begin with," Alex shot back, "I don't really have masculinity left to lose."

"Hey!" Dash said, angrily, her voice creaking, "Just what are you saying?"

Alex put his hoofs over his mouth; he sometimes lacked that filter that most people/ponies had.

"I meant it in a super POSITIVE way," Alex said, trying to think of a way to make it positive.

"Oh yeah?" Dash asked, still frowning, "Explain that to me."

"Well… You're just so—"

*Knock knock*

The two looked at the door.

'Saved by the bell!' Alex thought, jumping to his feet and running to the door.

Dash simply watched from where she sat, wanting to resume this conversation as quickly as possible.

Opening the door, Alex did not like what he saw.

"You…" Alex said, recognizing the brown pony on the opposite side of the door.

"Ah!" The Doctor said quickly, "I see you remember me!"

Alex growled, "What do you want?"

At this point, Dash had gotten up, and gone to the door to check on things.

"Who's there, Alex?" Dash asked, seeing the brown pony, with the grey pony on his back.

"Pardon me—" The Doctor began, before being cut off by Dash.

"Derpy!" Dash shouted, "What are you doing on this stallions back?"

"He told me he'd carry me, thoooough!" Derpy whined, knowing that Dash was going to yell at her for being lazy again.

"Colors, get back." Alex said seriously, taking a defensive stance in front of her, "This guy is bad news."

"Look-" The Doctor tried to begin again.

"What are you talking about?" Dash asked, "I'm completely lost."

"He's the one who took me away from Ponyville four months ago." Alex explained, watching Dash's expression harden.

"I'm sorr—"

"You did that?!" Dash shouted, pushing forward, past Alex, in an attempt to smack The Doctor upside the head.

"I'm sorry!" The Doctor shouted, stopping the commotion he had created, "I wanted to talk to you! And… Mmmmaybe set things straight."

Alex remained silent.

"There's a lot that you NEED to know." The Doctor said. "Please."

Alex was fighting with himself. A part of him wanted to talk to this pony, but another part of him, wanted to let out all of his pent up chaotic magic, and disintegrate him.

Realizing that this was probably Dax making him want to do that, Alex forced himself to calm down. He was nothing like this other pony inside him, and he needed to prove it.

"…Fine." Alex finally said, breaking the massive tension, "Let's talk."

"Thank you." The Doctor said, "I want to make things right."

"Achoo!"

Suddenly, all attention was on Derpy.

Noticing this, she shifted uncomfortably, "I'd better go now!"

"Wait," The Doctor said, "I think you need to hear some of this too."

This was confusing to the group of them.

"She's involved." The Doctor said simply.

"Alright," Alex sighed, hoping this was the right move, "Come in."

/

The four sat down around a circular table, each waiting for the other to speak first. Except for Derpy. She was completely confused, and was trying to find her place in all of this.

"Alex," The Doctor finally said, "I Might… owe you an explanation."

"You bet your rump you do." Alex said.

"You need to understand, that when I tried to erase you from existence, it was for a good cause!" The Doctor said without really thinking.

Alex cocked an eyebrow.

"Not the best wording," The Doctor said, "I was trying to save lives. And a lot of them at that"

"That's a bit better," Alex said, "Now, please explain this to me."

"Where do I start?" The Doctor said to himself out loud, "I guess, about a year and a half from now…"

Dash gave Alex a 'this guy is crazy' look. One that Alex didn't return.

"I'm from a point in time, where Discord was defeated by you and your friends." The Doctor explained, "And everything was… great!"

Alex was silent.

"What are you talking about?" Dash asked, "Are you insane?"

"I know how it sounds," The Doctor explained, "But I'm from a time and place, that you and your friends are happy, and living peacefully!"

"Okay," Dash answered, "Then why are you here trying to ruin that by killing Alex?"

"Because Alex wasn't there!" The Doctor blurted out, "Alex **shouldn't** be here!"

"That makes no sense!" Dash shot back, "He's here, isn't he?"

"And his being here, destroyed the future!" The Doctor began, "I was there at a wedding, when suddenly everything around me disappeared, and it was replaced by a world ruled by Discord."

Alex simply listened.

"Discord is going to win, and he is most likely going to conquer Equestria." The Doctor said frankly.

"Let's say that you're NOT crazy," Dash said, "Where were us?"

The Doctor sighed sadly, "You were there."

"I… I don't like your tone…" Dash said, seeing his mood change.

"Everypony was… Turned to stone." The Doctor said reluctantly.

"Yeah right!" Dash laughed, "I knew you were full of it! Right, Alex?"

"I believe him." Alex said.

"Wha—"

"He almost threw me into space," Alex said, "Then he put me three months into the future… Anything could possible."

"Thank you!" The Doctor said.

"So… What are you here for then, besides telling us that we're all doomed?" Alex asked.

"I'd like for us to try to stop him… Together." The Doctor proposed.

"What good would that do?" Alex asked, "You saw the future. Doesn't it mean that is HAS to be that way?"

"Well, I wasn't affected by the change you caused," The Doctor explained, "I should have been erased like everypony else. But, because I was in my ship, I was protected."

"What does that mean?" Dash asked.

"It means that he's a wild card," Alex said, surprising The Doctor, "He could help change the future."

"You understand!" The Doctor smiled, "Not many ponies do."

"My Dad got me into Star Trek." Alex laughed, showing happiness for the first time in their conversation.

"There are some other things I'd like to talk to you about." The Doctor said, "Something I was hoping you could help me with."

"What's that?" Alex asked.

"Well, I wanted to know about your... Element of Harmony." The Doctor asked.

"My Element?" Alex asked, "Selflessness?"

Suddenly, Derpy stood up.

"I remember why I'm here!" Derpy announced, silencing the table, "I have a letter for you!"

"A… Letter?" Alex asked, levitating the paper out of Derpy's mouth, "…Thanks?"

"Can I go now?" Derpy asked, "That's why I needed to be here, right?"

The Doctor laughed, "Not quite… I'll try to get to you fast."

"Okay." Derpy said sleepily, leaning her head against the table, "I'll wait like this."

"Uh… Your Element!" The Doctor said, moving the conversation back on track, "Right! Now… How did you come to have it?"

"It just… appeared." Alex said, scratching his head, "Twilight said that it was just one of the Elements of Harmony, and I fit the profile... Apparently."

The Doctor thought to himself for a moment before speaking up again, "And Twilight learned about the Elements of Harmony from a book that Celestia herself had been the main source of information on."

"Yes…" Alex said, not understanding his point.

"My world never had a Selfless element," The Doctor explained, "Which means, that something happened years, and years ago… Back when that book was written, that made Celestia think that Selflessness was an Element of Harmony."

"And that something has to do with me?" Alex asked.

"Correctamundo!" The Doctor said, immediately regretting his use of that word, "Because way back then, there were only six Elements that Celestia represented. And yours wasn't one of them."

"Then… What exactly IS my Element?" Alex asked, "If it's not Harmony, then what is it?"

"Chaos." The Doctor said simply.

"Of course it is…" Alex sighed, "I seem to be just swimming in chaos."

"It's a long story, Alex," The Doctor said, "I wish there was an easier way to show…"

"What?" Dash asked, seeing his sudden silence.

"Maybe I COULD show you…" The Doctor said quietly, "I want answers too… and the only place to get them, is in the past."

"So…?" Dash asked again.

"How would you all like to take a trip with me?" The Doctor asked, "There would be lots to see!"

"What would we be seeing, exactly?" Alex asked.

"Well, the last time the Elements of Harmony were used, besides a few months ago, were when Night Mare Moon was defeated by Princess Celestia," The Doctor explained, "So… That's where we'd go."

"We'd go to the fall of Princess Luna?" Alex asked.

"I don't know…" Dash said, "I'm all for an adventure, but would the princesses like us watching that?"

The Doctor understood where she was coming from, "I understand that it was a difficult time for them, but it's the only way for us to know for sure."

Dash looked at Alex, "What do you think?"

"I think… That we need to know." Alex said, "Besides, maybe it'll give us some insight into the Princesses a thousand years ago."

"I still think this guy is crazy!" Dash said, clearly nervous, "We can't really travel in time… Can we?"

"It's already happened once…" Alex said.

"It's a pretty easy trip to make too!" The Doctor said, "Well… Except for the thrashing, and those odd explosions… But it's fine! I do these kind of trips all the time!"

"That makes me feel soooo much better." Dash sighed, "This is all happening so fast!"

"Well… We could wait, if you wanted to," The Doctor suggested.

"No," Alex said flatly, "If this is going to help us fight Discord, then we need to do it as fast as possible."

"But…" Dash said, shifting nervously.

Taking a step toward Dash, Alex whispered in her ear, "Do you want to stay here?"

"No way!" Dash shouted, cracking her voice, "If this is happening, then I'm in!"

"Good," Alex smiled, "I'd like you to be there."

"Somepony needs to keep an eye on you!" Dash said, sincerely wanting to keep him out of harm's way.

"What about you, Derpy?" Alex asked, "Are you coming along?"

"Huuuh?" Derpy yawned, lifting her head from the table, "They gave me two letters to deliver today, and I'm already five hours into my shift!"

"I can have us back in 2 minutes flat." The Doctor said to her confidently. "Besides, I think it'll be easier for me to show you what I wanted to tell you."

"Well… Okay." Derpy said, after some thought, "But you have to help me deliver this letter!"

The Doctor nodded, just happy that Derpy was going to be traveling with him again.

"Well, it's all so sudden, but I'm pumped for this!" Dash said standing up, "I've never traveled in TIME before, but I'll bet that I'm already better than all of you at it!"

"I don't think you can be GOOD at time travel." Alex pointed out.

"Psh, Watch me!" Dash winked.

"Great!" The Doctor smiled, "Let's go!"

/

/

/

**My next chapter will probably take some time, as it's going to be a bit longer. But I'm going to write my buns off in the next few days, and try to finish it fast. I have just been stuck on an idea, and wanted to write it out like crazy.**

**It's going to explain some of 'my' back story for the Elements of Harmony, and Chaos. And also show the creation of Night Mare Moon as well. **

**I had a fairly similar idea to a song, (which I discovered when I was seeing if anyone had written a story like the idea I had) by ponyphonic, named: "Lullaby for a Princess," which definitely helped me work it all out when I listened to it. **

**Anyway, hoped you liked it! If not, please write me a 1000 word essay on my failures to you as a writer. (Please don't, actually.)**

**And please!**

**Review**

**Review**

**Aaaaaaand Review.**

**Please.**


	37. The Fall of the Night

/

**The Fall of The Night**

/

**/ - Line break**

**/-/ - Perception change**

/

"Why did I agree to this?!" Dash shouted over the banging and smashing of The Doctor's massive ship, as she clung to Alex, who held the rail, as the cabin shook violently, "And you STILL haven't explained to me how this place is so huge on the inside!"

The Doctor was feeling a bit grouchy that Dash hadn't said, 'It's bigger on the inside!' However, he didn't have much time to be upset, as they were coming up on some pretty exciting stuff.

Derpy had a serious problem when it came to too much shaking. If it were to persist, her eyes would start to roll around in circles, and would probably continue that way for a good half hour.

"Alright!" The Doctor shouted, pulling various levers, and ringing a bell, "Our first stop, is the defeat of Discord, and the rise of the new royalty in Canterlot!

"That's WAY more than a thousand years!" Dash shouted as the shaking grew more and more violent.

Then, suddenly, there was nothing but the dying hum of the Doctor's ship.

"We're here." The Doctor said simply, walking toward the door.

The three remaining ponies were all clearly nervous.

"You first!" Dash said, ducking behind Alex.

"Umm…" Alex said, moving behind Derpy, "Would you mind…?"

"Oh yeah!" Derpy said, approaching The Doctor.

The three crept to the front of the TARDIS, and waited anxiously for what came next.

"Now, we can't be noticed by the ponies around us," The Doctor said, "So, simply step outside, and watch. We have nothing else to do here."

The three nodded.

"Don't go further than a few feet!" The Doctor warned again, "You'll be seen otherwise."

/

**The Rise of Harmony**

/

The sun rested on the horizon, casting the shadows of the hills it hid behind, onto the mountain where the three most powerful beings in Equestria stood.

A castle had been carved out of the side of the mountain, as a monument to the lord and ruler of the land, Discord.

However, two sisters, who had both lived horrible lives at the hands of this tyrannical ruler, decided that they weren't going to stand for it anymore. They were going to stop this beast, and bring life back to Equestria.

Luna and Celestia.

Two inseparable, Alicorn sisters, who had grown up best friends, in a world that often had no friendship whatsoever. Besides them having both wings, and horns, they were about as average as any two ponies could be. They weren't any bigger, or stronger than anypony. They were just two, ordinary mares that decided to save the world.

Celestia was the older of the two, but wasn't the type of pony to take charge of a situation. She often let her younger sister, Luna take the lead in their endeavors, and their quest to bring down the evil ruler of Equestria was no different.

Celestia was a white mare, with pink hair, and a cutie mark of the sun. She had found herself able to manipulate the movements of the sun at a young age; however, Discord kept it fairly under his control, so she never got the chance to truly experience her special talent.

Luna was a dark purple mare, with dark blue hair to match. Her talent, opposite to Celestia's, had been her ability to control the moon. And, much like her sister, Discord had always kept her from having any kind of real control over it. Her cutie mark, however, was in a black spot on her flank. It almost looked like somepony had thrown some back paint on her side, and put her Cutie Mark of the moon over it.

Along with them, was a young Pegasus named Bolt they had encountered during a massive Parasprite swarm, that had tried to eat his village. He had a grey coat, a rainbow mane, and a Cutie Mark with two white wings wrapped gold lightning bolt.

The two sisters had happened across the town, during it's time of peril, and teleported the group of Parasprites away. So, he insisted that he join them on their quest to save Equestria from Discords rule.

As the three traveled together, they had become fast friends. The running joke between them had been that Celestia was the little sister of the group, since Luna had Bolt had both been much more mature than her. It was one of the only things they ever had to smile about.

They had both been through hell, roaming around Equestria in search of something called 'The Elements,' a powerful set of stones, which gave enormous power to their wearers, and the ability to 'seal' evil. After years of searching, they had finally gotten a lead from an old mare, who spoke of a cave sealed by powerful magic that 'Housed the power of life itself,' and that only those with pure intention could enter.

After much exploration, and study, they found the cave deep in the extremely dangerous Everfree Forest. And, as they had hoped, they were allowed entrance to the cave. Upon entering, they claimed two necklaces. A white one from a pedestal, engraved with the words, 'The Elements of Harmony,' and a black one from the ground, where another pedestal had crumbled to pieces.

The two necklaces were identical besides the color. They both had thin gold chains, that met in the middle, and held a triangular piece of metal. The metal was black or white, depending on the necklace. Inside the Triangle housed a large gem that was the source of power.

After studying as much as they possibly could, they finally decided to bite the bullet, and put the necklaces on.

And, as soon as they did, they were shocked at the overflow of energy they received. It took their already advanced knowledge of magic, and amplified it one hundred fold. They truly felt like they were ready to take on whatever Discord could throw at them.

After planning their attack with Bolt, they snuck into the large town that surrounded his castle, and made their way to the closed gates surrounding his stronghold.

At this point, Bolt separated from the two. Since he had no magical power, he would have been highly susceptible to Discord and his magic. So, instead of attacking Discord, he went into town, and made sure everypony stayed inside. He had no idea what was coming next.

On the other hoof, Celestia and Luna had made themselves known, by blasting in the front doors to the castle, and walking straight through Discord's entire guard.

They had swiftly defeated his entire army of brainwashed ponies, his elite pack of timberwolves, and even his pair of pet dragons, before walking right into the throne room. Discord sat with one leg draped over the other, the side of his head resting on his eagle claw hand, and a glass of chocolate milk in his paw.

They now stood in front of him. And despite the utter defeat of his entire defense force, he couldn't help but laugh at them.

"You two wish to dethrone ME?" Discord laughed, slapping his knee and wiping a tear from his eye, "Why would you two EVER do something stupid like that?"

"Because you don't belong in Equestria!" Luna shouted, stepping forward aggressively.

"It wasn't by MY hand that I was brought here," Discord chuckled, "I was brought here by ponies who wished to pay me tribute!"

"Tribute?!" Luna shouted, "You steal their lives, and make them your slaves!"

"Perhaps that same could be said for any god," Discord countered.

"Your words mean nothing!" Luna said, "Ponies have no need for a 'god' like you!"

"What is a pony?" Discord asked, throwing his chocolate milk away from his seat, exploding on contact with the ground, "A miserable pile of lies! They act like they don't want me here, but everypony LOVES me! They're always smiling!"

"That's because you sewed the ends of their lips into their cheeks!" Celesta shouted, cringing at the horrible things Discord was capable of, "They were forced to smile!"

"Yes well," Discord chucked, "They simply frowned TOO much!"

"We're not here to laugh with you, Discord," Luna said, "We're here to stop you."

Discord's expression suddenly darkened, "I have no intention of releasing control of Equestria to you. And if you HONESTLY think you two can stop me… then, please! Be my guest."

Luna and Celestia both looked at each other and nodded.

Celestia suddenly turned back to Discord, and blasted him with a powerful beam of magic, knocking him off his feet, and into the wall behind him.

"How did you—"

Discord was cut off by Luna following up Celestia with another blast, which destroyed the wall behind Discord, and sent him tumbling off the side of the mountain, into the valley, several hundred feet below.

Half way down, Discord cast a spell that teleported him to the bottom of the mountain.

The two alicorns quickly flew down to meet Discord on the ground.

"That was our warning," Luna said, "Surrender, now."

"That was a WARNING for you?" Discord asked, brushing off the furred parts of his body, "You two need to brush up on scare tactics!"

"I think we made our point," Celestia growled, "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

"You two got the preemptive strike," Discord chucked, "But now it's my turn."

Raising his paw, Discord surrounded the two in a dark shell.

"I'm so sorry that it had to end this way," Discord laughed, "But you two asked for it!"

However, much to Discord's dismay, Celestia touched the tip of her horn to the inside of the bubble, making it vanish.

"Now that's just cheating!" Discord whined, attempting to attack the ponies with every kind of magic he had. Unfortunately, his spells weren't working.

"Your spells have no effect on us, Discord." Celestia said, "The Elements protect us."

The sisters puffed out their chests, showing Discord the necklaces hanging around them.

Discord went wide eyed, "You two possess THE Elements?"

Luna nodded, smiling confidently.

This was not good for him.

"Well… If my spells can't hurt you, then maybe these can!" Discord shouted, tearing a massive amount of rock out of the mountain behind them, causing the city above them to shake violently.

Luna and Celestia barely had enough time to shield themselves before Discord started pummeling them with the seemingly endless number of stones.

Trying their best to expand their shields, the two girls found it impossible to grow them with the assault they were currently under.

"Sister!" Celestia shouted, looking behind them, "The city above us is going to fall!"

"You two don't have the power to protect yourselves, AND protect that town," Discord laughed, "You can try to focus on both… But you will fail."

"I'll help the town!" Luna shouted back, over the deafening sound of the rocks smashing into the ground, "You move toward Discord and stop him!"

Celestia nodded, as Luna focused on the town that was rapidly cracking to pieces far above them. The Elements had given them remarkable power, but Luna wasn't sure that she had the power to keep the town safe, especially while Discord was busy trying to break her concentration.

Celestia crept forward, through the massive hail of rocks, until she was as close as she could get to him.

"Tell me, filly," Discord said confidently, guiding more rocks into her shield, "Are you going to break that shield, and stop me, or are you just going to sit there all day?"

Celestia didn't know what to do next, she couldn't stop Discord without breaking her guard.

"Sister!" Luna shouted, seeing he difficulty she was having.

Celestia looked back to her sister, her face plagued with worry.

Luna shouted something that Celestia couldn't understand.

"What?" Celestia shouted back.

Luna tried to speak to her again, but was still unheard.

"How cute!" Discord laughed, "If only I wasn't making so much noise!"

Celestia ignored him, and kept looking at Luna, hoping that she would be able to understand her, or perhaps read her lips. Unfortunately, she couldn't do either.

Luna was failing in keeping the town above them safe, she needed Discord stopped now. Thinking frantically, on how to deliver this message, she quickly came up with an idea.

Luna inhaled deeply, and then puffed out her cheeks. She looked pretty silly, considering the situation, but hopefully, Celestia would understand.

Celestia was pretty confused. What was she supposed to be doing?

Luna started rapidly puffing, hoping that this would clarify the message.

Celestia stared mimicking her, which caused Discord to burst into a fit of laughter.

"This is too good!" Discord cackled, almost doubling over. "I was WORRIED about these elements?"

Luna had somewhat hoped that his laughing fit would make him stop pummeling them with stone. It didn't, however.

Finally, Celestia worked it out.

If there hadn't been rocks hitting her from the front, she could expand her shield that way, and engulf Discord, cutting off his magic.

But, how would she get past the flurry of stones that currently circled him? She needed to interrupt his magic somehow…

Then it hit her, the sun! If these elements gave them incredible power, then maybe she could summon the sun to her, and stun Discord for a moment.

Flying straight up, out of the hail of rocks, Celestia released her shield, and summoned every ounce of power she had, commanding the sun to leave the horizon, and come to her aid.

And it did.

The massive ball of fire receded from its setting state, and moved through the sky, until it came to a stop directly above the battlefield. Celestia had assumed that it would be harder to move, but perhaps even the sun wanted Discord stopped.

"What the…?" Discord said looking up at the sky, momentarily forgetting about the fight he was currently in.

"Now, sister!" Luna shouted.

Nodding quickly, Celestia gunned straight for Discord.

On her way down, Celestia recreated her shield, but kept it well in front of her.

Then, just as she had hoped, she wrapped the ball around Discord, and trapped him inside.

Instantly, the rocks stopped coming from the mountain, leaving a massive crater immediately underneath the town, which would have crumbled had Luna not been keeping it up.

"Let me out, Pony!" Discord shouted, realizing that he probably could have avoided this, if he hadn't started laughing… And been surprised to see her move the sun… But… it was rather impressive.

"Sorry, Discord." Celestia said, stepping out of the bubble, "It's over."

Luna, now free to concentrate her spells on the town, lifted every building off the side of the mountain, and slowly placed it on the ground, out of harm's way.

The entire town landed on the ground with a soft 'thud,' as the residents started creeping out of their homes, to see just what had been going on.

Luna finally released the magic, and sighed happily. Turning to Celestia, they both smiled happily.

Bolt emerged from one of the larger buildings, and ran over to the two.

"I can't believe you guys did it!" Bolt smiled, looking at Luna.

"You doubted us?" Luna asked, cocking an eyebrow to him, "I thought you had a little more faith!"

"N-no!" Bolt stammered, "I knew you would do it, I just… made a poor choice of words…"

Luna giggled, earning a boyish smile from Bolt.

The three turned back to the trapped Discord, and couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.

It was over. They had done it.

"Sister," Luna said, "It is time we finish with him."

"What do you mean, FINISH with me?" Discord barked angrily.

Luna and Celestia each took a position on either side of Discord.

"My subjects!" Discord shouted to the crowd that had surrounded the three of them, "Whoever helps me, will be rewarded!"

Nopony said a word.

Luna and Celestia both immediately felt their necklaces begin to react, as they lit up, and levitated a few inches away from their chests. They both closed their eyes, as a small spark came out of each of their necklaces.

The sparks gravitated to one another, until they met just above the bubble that Discord was held in.

"No!" Discord shouted, pounding on the walls of his prison, "I-I'm sorry! Stop! I'll do anything!"

The sparks started to shine brighter and brighter, until the brightness grew to the point that it was blinding.

Everypony turned away, shielding their eyes.

All they could hear were the screams, and protests of Discord, as he continued frantically pounding on the bubble.

Eventually, the shouting stopped, and was replaced by an eerie silence.

The light faded, and as everypony started opening their eyes, they saw that their fanatical leader, Discord, had been turned to stone.

Luna, Celestia, and Bolt immediately moved to one another, not sure how this crowd was going to react to what they had just seen.

"He-He's gone!" One pony said.

"Does that mean… We're free?" Another said.

"Yes it does!" Luna said happily, "Oh! I will also move your town back to where it was… I just need a bit of time!"

The crowd erupted into mass applause.

"We have to spread the word!" A pony called.

Luna and Celestia smiled to one another.

"We did it, Sister." Luna said, smiling brightly.

"Yes we did!" Celestia agreed excitedly, leaning her head softly on her sisters.

/-/

"Wow…" Alex said breathlessly.

"They just _destroyed_ Discord!" Rainbow Dash cheered, punching the air.

"That was amazing!" Derpy said, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"They're so small to!" Dash added, "They're no bigger than I am!"

"It was when they were crowned that they changed," The Doctor explained.

"I still can't believe that they took him down like that." Alex said.

"It was an amazing moment in history," The Doctor smiled, "The fall of Discord, and the Rise of Harmony."

"Why do they talk so normally?" Dash asked, "Didn't they say stuff like, 'thou,' and 'thy'?"

"The TARDIS fixes that!" The Doctor smiled, "It translates everything into the language you speak! Even if it's an older version of that language. It just fixes it for you."

"That's convenient!" Dash laughed.

"Were those necklaces the Elements of Harmony?" Alex asked.

"Well… They thought they were," The Doctor explained, "However, only the necklace on Celestia's neck was Harmony. Luna wore the Elements of Discord."

"How could they get that confused?" Dash asked, scratching her head.

"The two Elements were each placed on separate pedestals," The Doctor explained, "The pedestal that read 'The Elements of Chaos' was crumbled. So they just assumed that BOTH were Elements of Harmony."

"I see, that doesn't explain everything" Alex said, "So, I guess we still have a few things to learn."

"Yes we do," The Doctor said, "We need to find out how 'Selflessness' became associated with you."

"And we will!" Dash said encouragingly.

"I can't believe that Luna became Night Mare Moon." Alex said, "Her and Celestia were so close…"

The Doctor nodded. "It's a sad story."

An odd silence filled the air.

"I think it's about time we jump ahead a week or so?" The Doctor said, breaking the moment.

"Why?" Dash asked.

"Don't you three want to see the coronation?" The Doctor asked, "I was there!"

"You were?" Dash asked, "How…?"

"I'll point myself out!" The Doctor said happily, running back into his ship, "I was wearing the craziest scarf!"

Alex took one last look at the sisters. They had fought for the freedom of every pony in Equestria. They were the truly selfless ones. How had he come to represent a part of these great ponies?

The TARDIS started up again, as Alex discarded the thought. He would find out eventually. So there was no point in dwelling on it. For now, he was gonna see just what happened next.

/

**Starting a new life**

/

Luna sat on her bed, dressed in a beautiful black gown. Thousands of thoughts running through her head at once.

Today was a monumental day for her and her sister.

After their triumph over Discord, the word traveled across Equestria almost instantly. A team of the fastest Pegasi, led by Bolt, split up and made trips to every town they could, making sure that everypony knew that Discords rule was finally over.

So many things had changed in what seemed like the shortest week of her life.

Cloudsdale was lifted from the ocean, allowing ponies to start living in it once again.

Every cotton candy cloud had disappeared, and Discord's castle had been leveled.

In its place, a new castle was being built by a hard working team of ponies, in an effort to show Luna and Celestia their thanks.

However, after all the "thank-you's", Luna realized that these ponies wanted something from Celestia and herself. They wanted new leaders.

The two hadn't expected this kind of response. They simply wanted to go back home, and live out the rest of their days in peace. It didn't look like this was going to happen, however.

They were now expected to be the new rulers of Equestria. So, after several hours of conversation, and debate, the two finally decided that if anypony was to take Discords place, it should be them.

"Luna!" Celestia whispered, opening the door, "Are you in there?"

"Sister!" Luna said, "You should be in your room preparing!"

"I'm so worried though!" Celestia said, creeping in, "You're way better at this stuff than I am…"

The two had been pestered by just about everypony around to get ready or their coronation, and would probably be asked to go back to their rooms if caught outside of them.

"I'm nervous as well," Luna admitted, "I am not used to this kind of treatment."

"I know what you mean," Celestia agreed, "Just a few months ago, we were living off scraps of Discords chocolate milk rain clouds."

"And now here we are…" Luna sighed, "About to become the ruling sisters over all of Equestria."

"Do you remember what that odd unicorn outside was saying to us?" Celestia asked, "About the way this ceremony was going to go?"

"I do," Luna said, recalling him clearly, "It sounded like he was going to cast some kind of spell on us."

"I'm… I'm nervous, Luna." Celestia said tearing up, losing the composure she had tried so hard to keep.

"Sister, please don't cry…" Luna said softly, standing up and pulling Celestia into a hug, "No matter what happens today, we will always have one another."

Celesta closed her eyes, and exhaled deeply, "Thank you, Luna"

"Of course," Luna smiled brightly, moving some of Celestia's pink mane away from her eyes, "You should go get ready, we'll be called soon."

"Right," Celestia said, feeling much better, "I'll see you in a little bit… And, thank you."

Luna nodded and smiled as Celestia walked out of the room.

As long as they were together, Luna was confidant they could handle anything that the world threw at them.

/-/

The four observing ponies stood in the room during the exchange between the sisters. Luckily, Luna had been given a massive area for herself, giving them enough room to make sure that they, and the TARDIS wouldn't be walked into.

"They're Nothing like I expected them to be." Dash said, seeing just how normal they were before they became gods.

"If I were being named the new ruler of Equestria, I'd be a wreck!" Dash exclaimed, "The pressure must have been HUGE!"

"I think I'd be good at it!" Derpy said.

"I'm surprised how… Different Celestia is," Alex said, "Luna really is her pillar."

"Yeah," Dash agreed, "I thought Celestia was ALWAYS the strong one, seeing them today."

"Things change," The Doctor said simply, "Let's go back in the ship. I'll take us outside."

The three followed the Doctor inside, and watched as he pressed a few buttons, and yanked a string with his mouth.

The TARDIS came back to life, for about 15 seconds, before becoming silent again.

"Alright!" The Doctor said, "I've taken us just outside the castle, the coronation will be in about a half an hour… So, feel free to explore around!"

"Explore?" Alex asked, "I thought we weren't allowed. Couldn't we alter history?"

"As long as you don't make a scene that becomes remembered, everything will be fine," The Doctor explained, "After all, we're here right now, which means that us being here happened, and no matter what we do, is what we did, when we were here."

"Uh…" Dash said, scratching her head and looking to Alex, "What?"

"I have no idea," Alex said, just as confused.

"I think I understand it!" Derpy said, earning serious doubt from Alex and Dash, "I just… don't know how to explain it."

The Doctor smiled, he knew that Alex and Dash didn't believe her, but something that had surprised him about Derpy, was her ability to wrap her head around 'time.' She understood 'cause and effect' better than most ponies did.

"Off you two go!" The Doctor said to Alex and Dash, tossing them a small bag of coins, "Go have something to eat."

Alex levitated some of the coins out of the bag, and inspected them carefully. They all had a large D written on them, which led Alex to believe that it stood for 'Discord.'

"Oh!" Dash said, "I've seen one of these before!"

"You've seen a big D before?!" Alex laughed, instantly getting a smack from Dash.

"I'm surprised," The Doctor said, "When Celestia and Luna took the throne, all of gold currency was melted down, and replaced with bits."

"One hit me in the back of the head years ago!" Dash laughed, "I have it at home."

"Hit you?" Alex asked.

"I don't know how… It just did!" Dash laughed, "I didn't see where it came from, so, I decided 'finders keepers!'"

Alex shrugged, "Sounds fair to me."

"Well, go on out and spend some time looking around," The Doctor suggested, "You'll hear the instruments when everything gets started."

"Alright," Alex said, walking with Dash to the door, "Do you want to come with us, Derpy?"

"Oh no." Derpy said lazily, "I think I need a nap!"

"I'll stay with her," The Doctor laughed, "You two go have fun. And don't be seen by the Princesses!"

They both nodded, and then headed out the door.

/

**Heavy Petting**

/

Alex and Dash walked through the town, located on the side of the mountain, and were rather shocked to see how much was different.

"Almost nopony has their Cutie Mark," Alex said to Dash, "That's kinda weird…"

"Well, since Discord was just ruling the world, I'd bet that nopony had the chance to find out what their special talents were." Dash said.

"That makes sense," Alex said, as the two of them turned down a side street, and walked by some houses.

Dash looked around at the all the ponies they were passing. The streets were extremely packed. But, that made sense, considering everything that had happened for these ponies recently. Alex knew that he would have turned out to see the ponies that had saved the world from Discord.

"It's so… strange being here." Dash said, looking at the various buildings around her, noticing the change in architecture from her time, to this one.

"A lot of stuff here is made of… mud?" Alex said, scratching his head.

"It was Discord!" A pony said from behind them, "He loved makin' us live in crap holes like this!"

Turning around, Alex and Dash were face to face with the oldest pony either of them had ever seen. He wore a large blue hat, and a blue robe, both of which were covered in crescent moons and stars. Along the rim of each piece of clothing, were a line of bells that shook quietly as he walked.

"The name's Star Swirl!" The pony said happily, "And you two look like you don't belong here."

"Uh… What?" Dash asked, obviously losing her cool, "We TOTALLY belong here! We just uh… um…"

"We're visiting from… Ponyville," Alex said, not actually lying, "It's a pretty small town way out east."

The old stallion cocked an eyebrow, inspecting them very closely, "Ponyville, eh? Well, it sounds like a lovely place!"

"It is!" Alex said.

"Oh yeah!" Dash agreed quickly, "It's real nice!"

"The two of you are here to see the coronation then?" Star Swirl asked, "Or just visiting to see the place where Discord finally fell?"

"The Coronation!"

"Seeing where Discord was defeated!"

Alex and Dash looked at each other, before turning back to the stallion.

"A bit of both," Alex laughed nervously.

"I see…" Star Swirl said, giving them a careful look, "Well, you and yer husband enjoy the rest of the day, I have some work I need to be gettin' to."

"Oh, no… we're not—" Dash stopped, sighing quietly as he headed away.

"That was too close…" Alex said, ignoring the husband comment, "We need to keep a lower profile."

"That might be hard…" Dash said, noticing the looks she was getting.

Alex surveyed around the area, and saw that Dash was getting a lot of weird looks, from almost every pony they passed.

"Why is everypony staring at you?" Alex whispered.

Unfortunately, they were approached again by a green pony, that looked like he recognized Rainbow Dash.

"Excuse me, Miss…" The pony said, "But are you related to that pony on the messenger team?"

"Messenger team?" Dash asked, "What team was that?"

"The one that helped Celestia and Luna defeat Discord? The one that spread the news of Discords defeat…?" The pony asked, surprised that she had never heard of it, "The pony who organized it had a similar mane to you."

"Oh!" Dash finally understood, "You mean Bolt?"

"Yeah!" He smiled, "So? Are you related?"

"Nope," Dash said simply, "I'm not related to him, just a coincidence!"

"No problem ma'am," The pony said, "I hope you and your husband enjoy the coronation!"

"Oh no," Alex tried to correct, "I'm not her—"

The pony was already gone.

"That Bolt guy really is the male version of you, huh?" Alex asked.

"I thought you said I was already really masculine!" Dash said, bringing up the argument they had just before they left on this trip.

"It was a joke!" Alex said, "Besides, let's not fight here."

"Okay okay," Dash said, knowing it wasn't the best idea to bring that up here.

The two walked silently for a few minutes along the mountainside, until Alex noticed something strange.

"Do you recognize that?" Alex asked Dash, pointing to a small valley on the edge of the Everfree forest, several miles away.

"Kinda…" Dash said, seeing something familiar about the mountains surrounding the valley.

"I think…" Alex said, "I think that's Ponyville!"

There was no doubt about it. As soon as Alex said it, Dash saw it too.

"Well, it's GOING to be Ponyville, anyway," Alex said.

"Does that mean… That we're in Canterlot right now?!" Dash said looking around the area they were in.

"Maybe we're in what's going to be Canterlot," Alex suggested, "I mean, the Princesses are here… And this new castle kinda looks like the one a thousand years in the future…"

"I guess that makes sense," Dash said, "I can't believe that I didn't see it earlier."

Walking to the edge of the road, Alex sat down on a rock human style, and looked over the edge of the mountain toward the Everfree Forest, and what would one day be Ponyville. The sun was just starting to set, painting the sky a beautiful orange.

Looking at Dash, Alex patted the rock.

Walking over to him, she sat down and enjoyed the view.

"It looks beautiful," Dash said, wishing she could see this kind of stuff more often, "I don't suppose you have a camera, do you?"

"I don't," Alex laughed, "I guess that means that we'll have to just sit here and enjoy it for as long as we can."

Dash sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, "Works for me!"

"You know… We haven't had many moments like this…" Alex said.

Dash nodded, keeping her head rested on him, "I'm not exactly the type of pony that lives on Romance, but it's nice every now and then."

"Yeah…" Alex said, deciding not to continue talking, and simply enjoy their time together.

Alex had never truly experienced a moment quite like this. He had tried to be romantic with his girlfriend back on earth, but had failed somewhat. Something that he wasn't too worried about now, as he currently had a beautiful mare resting on his arm.

Still, he wondered where all of his friends were at this point. They all probably thought he was dead. He had been gone for more than half a year now. But, that was something he was willing to live with. Life here was so much different.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind, Alex returned to the here and now. Rainbow Dash.

She was about a million times better than anything he could have ever hoped for in a girl. She wasn't clingy, she was independent, she was confidant, she was strong… Maybe a tiny bit too headstrong. But, then there was that side she rarely let out. The side that was a girl, that wanted to be swept off her hoofs, and cared for by a big, strong stallion. While she would have never admitted it to anypony before, she had a hard time hiding it now.

"Back when I was at the training center…" Dash started, earning Alex's attention, "I used to dream about this kind of stuff"

"Oh yeah?" Alex asked.

"Yeah…" Dash said nervously, "I always told myself… That if you came back, I was gonna make you do this kind of stuff with me."

"Watch sunsets…?" Alex asked, scratching his head.

"Not just this!" Dash laughed, "But I love spending time with you… And I want to be able to do things like this all the time."

Alex nodded. "Just spending time with you like this makes me realize just how happy I am here."

Dash smiled as she nuzzled closer into him.

Alex took the hint and wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her even closer to him.

Resting a hoof on his chest, Dash sighed happily.

"Do you mind if I take a nap?" Dash giggled, "You're really comfortable."

"Sure," Alex laughed, "Just don't get used to this."

"We've slept together before," Dash said suggestively.

"We cuddled for a night, because there was a violent storm," Alex said, "I was petrified of the lightning!"

"Mhmmm." Dash said, obviously dozing off.

Deciding to let her fall asleep, Alex softly leaned his head on top of hers and relaxed. He wondered how long it was going to be before the coronation began… He hoped that it would never come. He loved this.

Alex sat in silence for the next ten or so minutes, while Dash breathed softly through her sleep, making tiny snoring noises every now and then that he found quite adorable.

Unfortunately, the time finally came. A loud precession was heard, playing various instruments, marking the beginning of the coronation.

"Colors," Alex said softly, nudging her softly with his shoulder.

She didn't respond.

"Dash, we have to go…" Alex said a tiny bit louder.

"Mmmmm," Dash groaned, "Two more minutes."

Laughing to himself, Alex took a hoof, and placed it under her chin, and lifted her face up to him.

She looked so cute when she was asleep…

Leaning forward, Alex kissed her softly.

At first, she was nonresponsive, and Alex simply kissed her limp lips. But, after a moment, she exhaled, smiled, puckered up, and kissed him back.

Alex had meant for this to be a straightforward, quick wake up kiss, but Dash had remarkably different plans.

Pretty quickly, Alex felt Dash open her mouth, and practically force her tongue inside his mouth. Not being one to deny her, Alex opened his mouth, and pressed back.

Of course, for the entire time they were doing this, every pony that passed them on the way to the coronation got a free show. But, neither of them particularly cared. They weren't going to stop over a few spectators.

The two continued their passionate kiss as Alex found himself softly stroking from her chest to the lowest section of her stomach, which led her to start breathing harder. Of course, to everypony behind them, this was just a passionate kiss. Their bodies hid the heavy petting portion of this make out.

The music had ended, and the coronation had officially begun, something that Alex only barely noticed. Unfortunately, that was all it took for him to start realizing that he needed to bring this to a stop.

Pressing his hoof softly to her chest, Alex pushed her away from him, leaving a very flushed Dash, extremely flustered and confused.

"W-what are you doing?" Dash asked breathlessly, her eye lids barely open, "Don't stop, please."

"We need to get to the coronation," Alex said between deep breaths, "And we're kinda getting an audience."

Dash looked over her shoulder, and saw an uncomfortably large number of middle aged stallions watching them, with their lips raised enough to show their top row of teeth, as they smiled at the couple.

"Uh…" Dash said, regaining her composure, "Yeah… We should probably get to the crowning…"

"Mhmm…" Alex said, smiling a fake smile to their onlookers.

Casting a quick spell, Alex teleported them down the street, far enough away that those ponies couldn't follow them.

/-/

**From Ponies to Princesses**

/-/

Celestia and Luna stood behind a curtain, waiting anxiously for their moment to go out and address their subjects.

A large wooden stage had been built in front of the castles front door. With large curtains on either side of it. In the middle of the stage was a podium, where a stallion currently stood, giving a speech about the two sisters.

Their friend, attack planner, and leader of the messenger team, Bolt was giving a speech describing how he had worked with the girls, and made sure that freedom was known as quickly as possible to the ponies in Equestria.

"I wish I could have been more help," Bolt said to the crowd, who cheered him on anyway, "But for now, I'm just happy that things turned out so amazingly!"

Looking through the crowd, Bolt noticed a mare standing in the back of the audience with a rainbow mane that matched his perfectly. He had never seen another pony with the same hair colors as him. It made him pause for a moment, as he considered the chances of a mare having the same mane as him.

By now, there had been a few moments of silence, and everypony started following his gaze, until the entire crowd, was starting at Rainbow maned mare. She quickly hid behind the stallion standing next to her.

"Nice hair!" Bolt called noticing the awkward situation he had placed her in, eliciting laughter from the crowd, "Anyway, back on track!"

The crowd settled down, and focused on the stage once again.

"I've also been told to inform everypony, that the crystal mines contained within this mountain, are officially closed!" Bolt announced, earning yet another cheer from the crowd, "The gems may be valuable, but the dangers presented by working there are simply too great a risk!"

Again, the crowd started talking amongst itself, however, Bolt, on the other hoof, had something whispered in his ear.

Clearing is throat, he got attention once again.

"I think that this prelude had gone on long enough!" Bolt said, "Without further ado, I give you, the new rulers of this land, Celestia and Luna!"

The crowd broke out into the loudest cheer that any of them had ever heard.

The two sisters timidly walked out on to the stage, wearing extravagant dresses that matched their coats, and dragged along behind them.

The band started to play once again, and continued until Luna and Celestia stood on either side of the podium.

After another moment of silence, an old stallion took Bolt's place in the center.

"Everypony, please!" The pony announced, trying to silence the crowd.

Clearing his throat, he cast a spell, making a large bell appear above his head. When everypony continued cheering, he conjured a large hammer that struck the bell, making a deafening ringing sound.

Immediately the crowd silenced.

"Thank you," He said, smiling, clearing his throat, and speaking as clearly as he possibly could, "Now, for those of you who don't know me, I'm Star Swirl the Bearded, formally, the professor of harmonious magic, under Discord himself."

Some quiet murmuring broke out in the crowd.

"Don't go thinkin' that I'm a bad guy!" Star Swirl said, "These two have saved me, just as much as they saved everypony here!"

The murmuring silenced.

"Now, as some of you may already know, this coronation is more than a simple ceremony." Star Swirl explained, "I plan on casting an ancient spell, often used by ponies in the past to ensure their rule over their given kingdom would remain for generations."

Celestia looked to Luna, becoming more and more worried about this spell as his description went on.

"I'm sure that you both have many questions…" Star Swirl said, "And I promise that I'll answer them all for you, once we're done here."

The sisters nodded.

"So, you two're?" Star Swirl asked, looking back and forth between the sisters.

Luna moved from her spot, on the stage, and moved next to her nervous sister.

"Yes." Luna said, looking at Celestia, earning a smile from her.

"Yes." Celestia said, looking back to her sister.

"Alright," Star Swirl said, walking toward the pair, "This may pinch a bit…"

The next thing the crowd knew, the entire stage went white.

/-/

"Do you see that?" Dash asked, "What's he doing?"

"I think he's making them… Immortal." Alex said, trying to focus on the bright light on stage.

"Geez…" Dash said to herself, shielding her eyes, "What's with magic these days, and being so flippin' bright?"

The light eventually subsided, leaving the same three ponies on stage, but two of them looked remarkably different.

"They're so much bigger now!" Dash said in disbelief.

"You make them sound fat." Alex laughed.

"Well, you know what I mean!" Dash said, "They're not as big as in our time though."

Alex simply nodded.

"This must be so scary for them…" Dash said quietly.

/-/

The first thing Celestia was able to see when the light subsided was her sister. Thanks to her dark coat, she stood out from the fading light.

And what she saw truly shocked her. Her sister was now much larger than the size she had been previously. And her hair was flowing with some kind of energy… It looked like she had the night sky in her mane.

"Sister…" Luna said, "You're so different!"

Celestia immediately wondered what had been changed about her. Turning her head, she saw that her hair was a solid pink.

"So are you!" Celestia said back, taking a step toward her sister, inspecting her closely.

For a moment, the two forgot about the crowd, and the fact that they were being made the new rulers of Equestria, and simply looked over each other, like two giddy fillies.

"And with that, I can now officially say, that Equestria has two new rulers!" Star Swirl, to cheering from the crowd, "Celestia, the goddess of the sun, And Luna, the goddess of the moon! Our immortal queens!"

"Wait." Luna said quickly, "Did you say immortal?"

/-/

"They look different from how they look in our time," Dash observed, "They're not quite the princesses we know yet."

"Give them some time," Alex said, "A long time passes between now and then."

"They seem to be doing better than I thought they would," Dash said.

"Maybe they're not scared." Alex said simply, as the crowd cheered around them, "They look pretty confused though."

"They have each other," Dash smiled, "They'll be fine as long as they have that."

"But…" Alex began, knowing what was coming for those two.

"Hey Alex, Rainbow Dash!" Derpy said, flying over to them, "That was amazing, huh?"

"It really was something!" Alex agreed.

"I'm happy for them!" Dash smiled.

"Excuse me!" A voice said from the stage, pulling attention away from their conversation.

"Celestia and I, wanted to thank Bolt for everything he has done for Equestria, without him, we wouldn't be here right now!" Luna announced to the crowd, "So, we're naming him the captain, of his brand new messenger team, The Wonderbolts!"

"We hope that this fine group of fliers, can be used for delivering messages throughout Equestria, without the need of advanced magic!" Celestia added.

"So… wait," Dash said, "The Wonderbolts started out as a bunch of… mail ponies?"

"Wow!" Derpy said, her eyes glittering with excitement, "I'm a mail pony!"

"Yes you are!" Alex laughed.

"All members of this team, will take residence in the castle, and perform under both Celestia and myself!" Luna announced.

Dash giggled.

"I know why you're laughing, Dash," Alex said, "And that's dirty."

Dash burst into laughter.

Alex couldn't help but smile. 'Perform UNDER them.'

"I don' get it…." Derpy said quietly.

"We should probably get going," Alex said pushing the thought from his mind, "We have more ground to cover."

Dash nodded, trying her best not to laugh again, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"L-let's go…!" Dash stammered, snarking.

"Yeah yeah," Alex smiled, "Calm down."

/-/

Luna had put on a good face for her announcement of the Wonderbolts, but… Had she truly been made immortal? Sure, she was an entirely new pony now… But… immortal?

Surprisingly, Celestia had been just fine with this, which led Luna to think that she was over thinking this. If Celestia could do it, so could she!

Maybe she just needed a night to let it all sink in…

_**She was never going to die.**_

Okay, maybe a bit longer than one night.

/-/

The three headed back to the Doctor's ship and went inside.

"How was it?" The Doctor asked, "Did you guys like the song they played at the very beginning? I helped write it!"

"Uh…" Alex said, knowing that he had been pretty busy, at that particular moment, "It was a great… song… I think."

The Doctor frowned. "You didn't even hear it, did you?"

"We were just preoccupied!" Dash blurted, "We wandered too far from the podium, and got lost on the way back."

"Early Canterlot is a tough place to walk around," The Doctor said, "I got lost for almost a whole hour once! ...Is an hour a long time to be lost?"

"So this WAS Canterlot!" Dash said.

"Sure is!" The Doctor said, "Lots changes in the next thousand years."

"Cool!" Derpy said, "It's a lot of fun seeing all this stuff!"

"That's great!" The Doctor beamed, smiling toward her.

Alex and Dash looked at each other with a knowing glance.

'He's into her.' Alex mouthed.

Dash nodded.

"So!" Alex said, "Where to next?"

"Well, why don't we check in say… ten years from now?" The Doctor said, "Things were very foreign for the Princesses when they first started, however; it was only ten years from now when things started to go downhill."

Flipping a switch, and turning a dial, the TARDIS came to life once again.

"Allons-y!" The Doctor smiled, before realizing that he hadn't shown them the past version of himself. Great, now his awesome mood was ruined.

/

**You Shouldn't Peep on a Princess**

/

Alex, Dash, Derpy and The Doctor stepped out of the ship, and into what was now Canterlot.

"Wow!" Dash said, starting to recognize the town much more now, "THIS is what I'm talking about!"

Canterlot had come a long way in a short ten years. The town was now much more pristine, and white than it had just been for them.

Ponies walked through the streets, clearly happier than they had been.

"Wear these!" The Doctor said, lifting three necklaces up, that were looped on his foreleg, each having a simple silver box in the middle, "As long as you have these on, it'll make you go unnoticed by everypony. But you won't be invisible! So don't make any loud noises that'll attract attention!"

"So, it's different from the ship?" Alex asked.

"Exactly! It kept us invisible! These won't do that!" The Doctor said, "So, don't take them off!"

"Got it!" The three said in unison.

"I wanna go check out the castle!" Dash said, "Are we safe to go there?"

"Of course," The Doctor said, "Just don't make a commotion."

Dash and Alex nodded.

"Can I come?" Derpy asked the two.

"Sure," Alex smiled, "What about you, Doctor?"

"Of course!" He said, "I haven't had a good walk in Canterlot in months!"

The group headed away from the TARDIS, and walked toward the castle. However, times were different then they had been ten years ago. Castle walls had been erected, and the streets were as confusing as ever.

*Achoo*

Everypony looked to Dash, as she lightly rubbed her nose.

"Do you guys smell that dust?" She asked, breathing carefully, not wanting to sneeze again.

"The castle gets renovated every now and then," The Doctor shrugged, looking to the section of the building that was being worked on, "Oh! They're making the library! It's a good library."

"Egghead…" Dash said under her breath.

"I'm not an egg head!" The Doctor said quickly, "I'm a nerd! There's a huge difference!"

They all laughed as they continued on their way.

As they wandered, they came to a point overlooking the side of the mountain, toward where Ponyville was going to be. And sitting there, were several couples, all on benches that had been built there.

"Hey Alex," Dash whispered to him, "Isn't this where we… you know… "

"I think so…" Alex said, approaching a sign that sat next to the benches.

The Doctor, Dash, And Derpy all watched as he read the sign.

"Lovers Outlook," Alex read, "Erected after two ponies were seen expressing their love for one another physically, in celebration of Discords Defeat."

"Are you serious?" Dash whined, "We weren't THAT physical."

The Doctor and Derpy both looked at them.

"It was pretty physical…" Alex corrected.

"Oh look!" Dash said, changing the topic, "There's the entrance to the castle!"

"Let's go!" Alex laughed, running toward the gates with her, leaving The Doctor and Derpy a bit confused.

"Did they make out in front of a bunch of ponies or something?" The Doctor asked.

"I think they did more." Derpy said.

"Uh…" The Doctor said, "Let's not lose them, yeah?"

"Right!" Derpy agreed, heading off toward them.

/

The four walked into the castle foyer, and saw two distinctive things.

First, a large line of ponies were lined up outside the throne room.

Second, the pony they had all seen ten years ago, Bolt, who was adorned in a suit of armor, was heading down a corridor often checking to see if anypony was behind him.

"We should follow him!" Dash said, "Can we, Doctor?"

"Feel free!" He answered, "You don't need my permission for everything!

"I wanna know what he's hiding!" Dash said excitedly.

"Yeah, that's not rude." Alex laughed.

"This line of ponies is here to see Celestia," The Doctor said, "I'm going to go see what they're all here to ask for."

"I'll see too!" Derpy said to him.

"Come on Alex!" Dash said, nudging his side, "I don't wanna lose him!"

Alex nodded, and headed down the corridor with Dash, in pursuit of the rainbow maned colt.

/

The two had followed him through several twists and turns, until he finally arrived at the bottom of one of the castles towers.

It was in such an obscure place, Alex was surprised that he had even been able to find it.

The pony ascended a large staircase, and headed for the top of the tower.

"What do you think he's doing?" Alex asked.

"I don't know…" Dash said, "But he's been checking for ponies following him for the entire trip… So he doesn't want anypony to find out."

"Let's follow him!" Alex said, suddenly very interested in what he was up to.

"Geez! Calm down!" Dash teased.

Walking up the stairs quietly, they followed him until they reached the top of the tower.

Giving one last glace around him, Bolt knocked on the door quietly.

"Come in," A voice said from the other side of the door.

Bolt smiled, and entered the room, leaving the door open a crack.

"You weren't followed?" Alex and Dash heard from the door, as they walked forward to peek in.

"Of course not, Luna." Bolt said.

Alex and Dash looked at each other, but didn't say a word.

Reaching the door, the two looked through the small crack that was still open. Inside, they could see Bolt, and Princess Luna involved in a deep kiss.

"Should we be watching this…?" Alex asked.

Finally separating, the two smiled at one another.

"I hate that we have to keep our relationship a secret like this…" Bolt said, lightly stroking the side of her face, "I wish that things could be normal for us."

"You know that would be impossible," Luna said sadly, "I am a Princess… and immortal."

"I know…" Bolt said quietly, "But, couldn't you just leave it all behind?"

"You know I can't," Luna said sadly, "I have responsibility."

"To live a life, where everypony you love grows old and dies around you?" Bolt asked, "Its torture!"

"I agree," Luna said in a shaky tone, "However, I owe it to Celestia that I stay by her side."

Bolt was silent.

Luna was clearly a bit shaken up over something, "Do you remember what we discussed last time we were here?"

"About the—" Bolt said, immediately understanding what she was referring to, "Yes… What did you find out?"

"Well… I'm—"

*Achoo*

Alex looked at Dash, absolutely horrified. She had just sneezed, at the BEST part.

"Who's out there?" Bolt called.

Immediately casting a spell, Alex teleported the two of them away, not caring where they ended up.

Bolt opened the door, and saw that the tower was empty.

"We'll continue this conversation in a few minutes at dinner." Bolt said, walking out the door, "I need to check on the Wonderbolts, and make sure they're ready for tomorrow's show."

Luna nodded, a sad look on her face. "I will announce my news then."

Heading back down the tower, Bolt sighed. He already knew what she was going to say. And he wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or not.

/

"You sneezed!" Alex shouted, standing on the roof over the throne room, "It was just getting good!"

"Sorry…" Dash said quietly.

"Dang… Now we'll never know!" Alex sighed, sitting down.

"Maybe we'll find out later." Dash said.

"I hope so…" Alex muttered, being a bit of a baby.

/-/

The Doctor and Derpy walked past the outrageous numbers of ponies that were lined up toward the throne room.

"What are they all doing here?" The Doctor asked, "The Princesses would never get work done if they were dealing with their subjects all day…"

Walking into the throne room, The Doctor was a little surprised at what he saw.

These ponies were simply walking in, just so they talk to her?

"That's a bit odd," The Doctor laughed, "I guess I never knew what kind of pony she was way back then."

"Maybe she's just enjoys it!" Derpy suggested.

"She's just like them, deep down." The Doctor reasoned, "She wasn't born a Princess, but now that she is, she tries her best to keep herself on their level."

"Good for her!" Derpy cheered.

The Doctor nodded, "You can't let your ego get too big."

The Doctor simply watched the Princess, as Derpy looked around the room, seeing just how different it was a thousand years from now.

"Wow!" Derpy said, looking upward, "There are two ponies on the roof!"

The Doctor looked up, and sighed.

"Why are they on the roof…? Would you mind going and getting them?" The Doctor asked, "I'm a bit challenged in the flying department this regeneration."

"Sure!" Derpy said, trotting out of the room.

/

Derpy flew outside, and made her way up to the roof, where Alex and Dash were lounging on the roof.

"You guys should come inside!" Derpy said, "The Dentist doesn't want you on the roof!"

"Dentist?" Alex asked, "You mean, Doctor?"

"A dentist isn't a doctor?" Derpy asked.

"Well… Um… I guess." Alex couldn't trump her logic.

*Achoo*

Alex frowned.

"Why are you sneezing, Rainbow Dash?" Derpy asked.

"I don't know!" Dash said, "This is annoying as all hay!"

"Well, maybe we can get you some medicine!" Alex suggested, recalling all the potions Zecora had made for them, "Are there any zebras in this town?"

"Hey!" Derpy and Dash said together.

"Don't be a racist!" Dash said sternly.

"Yeah!" Derpy agreed, "A racer-ism is wrong!"

"I… Okay." Alex said, knowing there was no winning this.

/-/

Celestia walked down the main corridor, to the dining hall. Luna had informed her of some kind of news she wished to share with her, Bolt, and other close advisors to the throne.

But, for some reason, during her trip, she couldn't help but feel that she was being watched. Nopony had caught her eye when she turned around to check. So, she just assumed that it was her imagination.

Entering the room, Celestia walked past her sister and several other ponies as she headed to the head of the table.

Taking her place, Celestia immediately notice that the room was eerily silent.

"How was everypony's day?" Celestia asked brightly.

"Mine was good," Luna smiled, "How did you enjoy your fans?"

"Ponies seem to want to thank me just for… being me," Celestia laughed, "I can't help that."

"They don't do that while I am at the throne," Luna smiled, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe they just like me better!" Celestia teased.

"Perhaps they do," Luna laughed, not doubting that fact for a moment.

"So, sister," Celestia said, wanting to get this meeting on track, "What was the news you wished to deliver to me?"

Luna looked around the room nervously, knowing that this was going to cause unrest.

"I…" Luna said slowly, "I'm going to take up the Crystal Empire on their offer."

"What?!" Celestia shouted, standing up, "Luna, you can't be serious!"

"They requested our help," Luna said simply, "They are in need of a proper kind of governing body."

"Sister, we both know that this could easily take a year to resolve!" Celestia pleaded, "Bolt is more than capable of doing this."

"I'll need to take him as well," Luna said, "This is a two pony job."

"You… You can't…!" Celestia stammered.

"I'm sorry, Celestia," Luna said unhappily, "We both know that the chances of this working increase with one of us doing the job personally."

Celestia remained silent.

"Please, sister…" Luna said, "I implore you to understand this choice!"

"I… I wish to speak with you in private," Celestia said.

Luna nodded.

Celestia walked from the table, and headed back toward the throne room. It was empty now, and would be the perfect place to speak privately.

Luna stood up, gave Bolt a single glance, and then followed her sister.

/

"Luna," Celestia said, holding her voice back from cracking, "Why have you suddenly changed your mind?"

Luna was silent, she had no answer for her sister.

"You were against either of us personally going when we were asked last month," Celestia said, "Why have you changed your mind? What's happened?"

"Sister…" Luna said, "This is for the good of the crystal ponies."

Celestia shook her head angrily, "Do you think I don't know you?"

Luna gave Celestia a guilty look.

"You have been my best friend for my entire life!" Celestia said, "Why would you lie to me?"

Luna thought to herself for a moment, before coming to a middle ground, "I… wish to have some time with Bolt."

Celestia looked shocked.

"The two of us have become… Involved." Luna said, "I wish to spend some time alone with him."

"Luna…" Celestia said, a bit surprised that this had been her explanation, "Why didn't you tell me about you two?"

"Well, I wasn't sure how you would have felt about the topic." Luna explained, "And I know it wouldn't look good for me, if everypony knew that I was involved with a close advisor of the crown."

Celestia nodded, accepting that both of them needed some time away every now and then, "But sister… An entire year?"

"It won't take that much time," Luna said, happy that her sister wasn't yelling anymore, "The two of us are a good team, regardless! We'll have the Crystal Kingdom sorted in no time!"

Celestia sighed, then finally nodded.

"Thank you, sister!" Luna said happily.

"If there was a stallion I was involved with, I know that I'd want some time with him," Celestia smiled, "And besides… He's growing older."

Luna nodded sadly, "His time is limited… Ours is not."

"But, promise me… You'll hurry back," Celestia said softly, a tear coming to her eye, "I don't know what I'd do without you here to help me…"

"You're a great Princess," Luna encouraged, "Just look at all those ponies that you have to talk to! You're so popular!"

Celestia blushed lightly, "I'm a princess, I certainly hope that I'm popular!"

/-/

The four invisible ponies watched the scene develop in silence.

Unfortunately, Dash started to have that feeling again.

"Aaa—" Dash inhaled, earning a look from the ponies around her.

"Aaaaaaaa—"

Alex went wide eyed.

"CHOO!" Dash sneezed, causing the two sisters to look in their direction in confusion.

"Who's there?" Luna shouted, her horn glowing.

"Guards!" Celestia called, suddenly seeing four ponies in the corner, that she hadn't noticed before.

"Crap," Alex said, "Everypony hold on…"

The three ponies each put a hoof on Alex's back, as he teleported them away from the throne room.

/

Reappearing in front of the parked TARDIS, Alex couldn't help but laugh. Dash was dangerous to have along during construction work.

"So, we know that Luna is going to the Crystal Empire, to spend time with her lover," The Doctor explained, "But we still don't know how you fit in to all of this, Alex."

"So, where to next?" Alex asked.

"Well, things definitely got worse a year from now," The Doctor explained, "We're going to go to the final days of Luna's time there, and see the events that unfolded."

Everypony nodded.

"It gets worse from here on in," The Doctor warned, "Please remember that."

/

**The Worst Choice She Ever Made**

/

Luna sat in her room at the top of the crystal castle, and looked out on the beautiful, and contrasting horizon in front of her.

Immediately below her, was a beautiful town, filled with bustling ponies that were all going about their daily lives. On the other hoof, beyond the limits of the Kingdom, was nothing but ice and snow.

Magic had been used to ensure that this land would remain fertile, and life sustaining, despite the harsh landscape it was built on.

Walking in the room, Bolt smiled brightly at Luna, "So, it looks like we're just about done here."

Luna was happy to hear those words. She longed to go home; she longed to see her sister again. However, there was just one thing that she was going to have to work out with Celestia…

"How're you doing?" Bolt asked.

"WE are fine." Luna corrected, rolling on her side, exposing her swollen stomach to the Stallion.

"Of course," Bolt said, kneeling down next to her, kissing her stomach softly, "I always love to hear that my girls are happy."

Luna smiled sincerely, "Thank you for working so hard for me…"

"I don't mind," Bolt smiled, "Besides, pretending to be bedridden to hide your pregnancy was our only option."

Luna nodded, and fell back on her bed, and closing her eyes. "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"We're going to officially crown the new leader of the Crystal Empire, King Sombra." Bolt smiled, lying down next to her in the bed, "Everypony will finally be able to move on with their lives, and we can go home."

As excited as Luna was to see Celestia, she wondered how her sister would react to her having a child. Of course, she knew that Celestia wouldn't be able to stay mad, especially with a foal involved in the situation...

At first, Luna wasn't sure if she was even going to go back to Canterlot. She had considered running away with Bolt, and living a normal life. She had even written a letter to Celestia, and left it in her journal back in Canterlot, as a sort of goodbye, telling her sister that she was resolved to leave.

But, she had decided not to run away. Her child would receive a great life in Canterlot.

"When do we go back, by the way?" Luna asked.

"Two weeks," Bolt smiled, "But… That's nothing compared to what we've been through."

"I just hope they pass quickly," Luna said, "I would be much happier to birth the child in Canterlot."

"I understand," Bolt said, "Perhaps we could get out of here a few days early."

"I'd love that," Luna smiled, "Let's retire for the night."

Bolt nodded, and lay down next to her in the bed.

"I love you, Luna," Bolt said to her.

"I love you too, Bolt." Luna sighed, casing a spell, extinguishing the torches.

/-/

The Doctor was speechless, something that his companions quickly noticed.

"What's wrong?" Derpy asked.

"She… She was pregnant…" The Doctor said in disbelief.

Alex scratched his head, "I've never heard her mention kids…"

"You're right!" Dash agreed, "I know the royal family is a bit confusing… But I've never heard of Luna having children."

Alex thought for a second.

If the Doctor didn't even know that she was ever pregnant… Does that mean that something happened to the child?

Alex didn't like that thought at all…

"What's up with this Crystal Kingdom too?" Dash asked, "Why haven't I heard of this place?"

"You'll see," The Doctor said simply, "I brought us here a night early."

"I don't feel like we're going to find out what I have to do with the Elements here…" Alex said.

"No… I don't think so," The Doctor said, "But, this is something we need to see, don't you think?"

Alex nodded.

"What next, then?" Dash asked.

"Well, if I remember right," The Doctor said, "Luna was rushed to the hospital just after the induction of King Sombra."

"And you never knew why?" Alex asked.

"Everypony just assumed that she was having complications with her mystery illness," The Doctor explained.

"So…" Alex said, trying to find the right words, "She lost the child."

The two girls gasped.

The Doctor simply looked at the ground solemnly.

"We don't know that for sure though, right?" Dash asked.

"Well, what else could have happened?" Alex asked.

"Let's find out!" Dash said, "I… I don't want to go on without finding out!"

"She's right!" The Doctor said, "There's no use being so negative!"

Alex nodded, still convinced that this was going to end sadly for them.

"While Luna was in the hospital, The Crystal Kingdom was taken over by their new leader, King Sombra," The Doctor explained, "Whatever happened to her, would have happened then."

"Let's go already!" Dash said impatiently.

"Sheesh!" The Doctor said, "You've got no patients whatsoever!"

"Not at a time like this!" Dash whined.

"Come oooooon!" Derpy added.

Not saying a word, the Doctor reached behind him, and pulled a string. The TARDIS turned back on, and started moving again.

After a few minutes of grinding, the ship came to a stop.

Silence filled the air, as the group approached the door.

However, as soon as the door was opened, a mass amount of screaming could be heard coming from outside.

"Are we safe out there?" Alex asked.

The Doctor nodded, "We're right outside the hospital right now, it's safe for now."

"For now?" Alex asked.

"Don't worry," The Doctor said, "We'll be out before anything happens."

Nopony liked the sound of that.

/-/

Princess Celestia, accompanied by a group of her elite guard, walked through the halls of the Crystal Kingdoms hospital. As soon as news of King Sombra's hostile takeover reached Canterlot, the Princess went into action.

She had been begged to stay behind by the captain of the guard, but Celestia ignored him.

King Sombra had been waiting for this. Unknown to everypony until now, he was extremely well versed in the ways of chaotic magic. And used this magic to almost instantly gain control of the entire Crystal Kingdom. And with the Crystal Heart locked away by Sombra, they had no way of countering his magic.

And now, a group of his followers were moving on the hospital to take Princess Luna hostage.

Hearing this was happening, Celestia put on her Element of Harmony, and instantly transported herself, and her team here to extract Luna.

"Why didn't she come home when she got sick…" Celestia said to herself as they headed to the ward Luna had been placed in.

"Your majesty, I implore you… Let us handle this!" The guard asked.

"I cannot," Celestia said sternly, "I will not sit and wait for news of my sisters wellbeing."

A loud crashing was heard behind them, as a group of Sombra's loyalists broke in through a window.

Sombra's army consisted mostly of crystal unicorns, that all wore dark red armor, covering their bodies completely, save their face. Celestia had rarely seen Crystal Ponies, but their natural shimmering look had always been beautiful to her. Except now, however.

"Look!" One of them called, "Both Princesses are here!"

"Just as hot as her sister!" Another said.

The guards all took a defensive position in front of Celestia.

"Maybe the boss'll let us have some fun with 'em!" The first laughed.

Celestia didn't even turn to look at them.

As the group approached the Princess and her Guard, a massive wall of flame appeared in front of them, blocking their paths.

"What the—" One said, "You think that can stop us?"

"I do." Celestia said quietly.

Suddenly, the flames started to move in strange patterns, moving into itself, making a solid mass of fire, until it finally twisted into the shape of a dragon.

"How did she do that?"

"What is that?"

"Is it alive?"

The group of attackers were quickly cut off as the dragon started approaching them, shooting a breath of flame into the air.

"R-retreat!" Their leader called, as they all ran out the way they came.

Celestia's guard simply looked between one another in awe. They hadn't ever seen her in action. Now they understood why she insisted on coming.

"How far are we?" Celestia asked.

"The room at the end of the hall." A guard instructed.

The group headed down the hall, and opened the door. And there, in the bed, was an unconscious Luna, with a unicorn above her, casting some kind of spell.

Upon seeing the entrance of the Princess, the unicorn teleported itself away.

"What did that pony do to her?" A guard asked, going to Luna's side."

"I don't know," Celestia said, "But we're taking her home, and we'll have her looked after while we plan a counter attack."

"What about Bolt?" A guard asked, "He's still here."

Celestia knew that Luna was only here to spend time with him, but, right now, she needed to keep her sister safe. Bolt could take care of himself.

Luna was sick, and under some kind of spell. She needed to be in a safe place.

"Bolt can handle himself until we organize a counter attack," Celestia said, "We return to Canterlot now."

The group nodded in agreement, and circled the bed that held Luna.

Lifting her horn in the air, Celestia cast the same teleportation spell she used to get here, and sent Luna, herself, and their entire guard back to Canterlot.

/-/

"Where's Bolt?" Dash asked, "Wouldn't he be with her?"

"The nursery," The Doctor said.

"Then let's go!" Dash said, running out of the room, having no idea where she was going.

"We… Should probably follow her," The Doctor said.

Alex nodded, and headed out the door with Derpy and the Doctor in tow.

/-/

"Get back!" Bolt shouted, clutching a newborn foal to his chest, "Don't make me hurt you!"

His daughter, only a few hours old, was a navy blue Pegasus, with a brighter blue mane, just as Luna's coat and mane had contrasted.

A gang of ponies had surrounded bolt, obviously here to take him to King Sombra.

"You're comin' with us," A grizzly red unicorn said, with no helmet, and several scars on his face. "King Sombra has plans for you."

"What about the foal, boss?" One of them asked.

"We can raise it to work the mines!" He laughed in response.

Bolt growled. He had no feasible means of escape. Sure, he could try to fly over them, but over half of the ponies surrounding him were unicorns… It wouldn't take much to stop him in his tracks.

Could he fight them? Under normal circumstances, he would have perhaps stood a small chance… But he was holding his child. And he wouldn't endanger her for anything.

"Now, you're going to hand over the kid, and you're going to come with us." Their leader said, taking a step forward.

Bolt took a step back in response; only further backing himself into the corner.

The red unicorn approached Bolt, until he had forced him against the wall.

Then, casting a spell, he started to pull the foal away from Bolt.

"No!" Bolt shouted, not wanting to pull hard against the magic, knowing that he could hurt his baby.

Suddenly, the red pony was lifted in the air, and thrown violently against a wall.

As everypony watched the unconscious leader hit the ground, a white alicorn walked into the center of the group.

"W-who are you?" Bolt asked, not sure if this pony was a blessing or a curse.

The pony smiled cockily, looking through the crowd in front of him, "My name is Dax, and I'm here to help you."

/-/

**Moments Before**

/-/

The group followed Dash until they ran into a large crowd that had surrounded somepony. Upon closer inspection, they saw that it was Bolt. He stood in a corner, trying to defend his child.

"W-we have to do something!" Dash said to Alex.

Alex looked at the Doctor, who shook his head.

Dash looked at Alex, her eyes starting to fill with tears.

"You have to help him!" Dash pleaded.

Alex was conflicted. He knew that intervening could have horrible consequences. But not intervening would make him a monster.

_Yes?_

_Or no?_

'You had better man the hell up.' A familiar voice said in his head.

Dax.

Go in and save the child?

…He was right. But, he didn't have the power to do it himself.

'Good,' Dax said, feeling Alex submit to his demand, 'Let me take a pass at these ponies.'

Alex felt a surge of chaotic magic start pouring into him, as Dax took full control of him.

Alex was aware though. Dax wanted him to see this

Levitating the large pony that had corned Bolt off the floor, Dax threw him against the wall, laughing quietly to himself as the pony landed on the floor like a rag doll.

Walking forward, Alex entered the group, and took a defensive stance over the Pegasus and his daughter.

"W-Who are you?" Bolt asked.

"My name is Dax, and I'm here to help you." Dax smiled cockily.

Bolt swallowed hard, and nodded.

"Stay behind me." Dax said simply, turning to face the crowd.

"Do you think you're getting out of here alive?" A unicorn barked threateningly.

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same question." Dax said seriously, before flashing a smile.

Suddenly, the entire group was levitated off the floor.

The unicorns tried desperately to cast some kind of magic to break his hold, but found it impossible.

"You're lucky I'm such a nice guy," Dax laughed, throwing them all out a large window overlooking a small lake below the hospital.

Bolt was stunned.

"T-thank you!" Bolt said, shocked at the power he possessed.

"I did it for the fun," Dax laughed, "It's always nice to get out, and flex my muscles."

Bolt didn't know what that meant, but decided to roll with it.

"You need to help me… I have to get my daughter out of here." Bolt said, "She's a very important foal."

Dash, Derpy and The Doctor all approached Dax and Bolt.

"Are you ponies with him?" Bolt asked them.

"Wellll… Sort of." The Doctor said.

"Let Alex back out!" Dash said angrily.

"I just saved this pony, like you ASKED me too!" Dax laughed, "And you're angry?"

"I asked Alex!" Dash shouted, "Not you!"

"You know what?" Dax said, intentionally trying to piss Dash off, "I think I deserve some fresh air."

"No!" Dash said instantly.

"Alex is in here agreeing with me," Dax lied, tapping his head, "So, I'll stick around for just a little longer."

"Look!" Bolt said, "I don't know what's going on, but we need to get out of here!"

"We can get you out of here!" Derpy said happily, "There is a box we can use to go to the future!"

Bolt wasn't so sure about this anymore.

"She's joking," Dash cut in, "But we do have a way out."

"Thank you," Bolt said, "I just need my foal taken to her mother."

The Doctor frowned. This isn't how it was supposed to go. Luna doesn't have a child.

"Let's just get out of here." The Doctor said finally.

Bolt nodded as the five of them headed back toward the exit.

As they moved, Dash made her way toward Dax, wanting to try and get rid of him again.

"Can you please let Alex out?" Dash asked, "This isn't funny!"

"I pretty much AM Alex," Dax said, pointing to himself, "I'm just way more exciting."

"You're not Alex!" Dash argued, "You're nothing like him!"

Dax sighed. He was told that too much. Of course,.

So, instead of politely explaining that to her, he decided to piss her off further.

"I was there, you know." Dax said confusingly.

"You were… where?" Dash asked.

"With you, when you and Alex shared your little 'wake up' kiss." Dax said, smiling knowingly.

Dash immediately flushed.

"Got a little intense, didn't it?" Dax laughed.

"Y-you're just being a pervert!" Dash feebly argued.

"Want to know a secret?" Dax asked, earning a concerned look from Dash, "I was the one egging him on. The one telling him to rub lower, and lower, and lower… Just like you wanted him—"

Dash slapped him hard across the face.

"If you ARE Alex, like you constantly say," Dash said angrily, "Then you're going to care if I ignore you!"

Dash walked ahead, and walked with Bolt.

'Nice friggin' job!" Alex shouted at Dax, 'You screwed up! Let me back out!'

'No,' Dax said, 'I'm here to protect the kid. If I piss of Dash, what's the harm?'

Alex growled.

'Chicks dig being treated badly, you know." Dax laughed.

/

**The King Himself**

/

The five exited the hospital, and headed for the TARDIS. The sky was black, and a thin red haze had seemed to engulf the entire Kingdom. It was a truly foreboding environment.

"There they are!" A rough voice shouted from behind them.

"Perfect." A deep voice answered.

The five looked over toward the voice, and saw a large grey pony, with a black mane, wearing a suit of armor.

"Sombra," Bolt said, clearly outraged with this pony.

"That's KING Sombra to you, Bolt." He laughed, "And that's all thanks to you!"

"Why have you done this?" Bolt asked, "Everything was looking up for the Crystal Empire!"

"I did it for power!" Sombra laughed, "If I turn everypony here into slaves, they can collect enough material to arm my army to the teeth! We'll be able to march out of this Kingdom, and take over every town we come across!"

"You plan on invading Equestria?" Bolt asked in disbelief, "We JUST freed the world of Discord's reign!"

"Just Equestria?" Sombra laughed, "I plan on taking over the whole world!"

"You're insane!" Bolt shouted.

"Maybe," Sombra laughed, "But you have nothing you can do about it."

Sombra quickly cast a spell, paralyzing everypony in front of him, broke from his crowd of armed guards, and walked toward them all.

Casting his own spell, Dax freed himself from Sombra's magic. However, instead of simply attacking, he waited. The element of surprise would do him much more good than running at him and his army.

"I see you have a foal there," Sombra said, circling Bolt, inspecting the surprisingly quiet child, "You're trying to save it from the hospital?"

"I'll be back for the others after I finish beating the snot out of you!" Bolt shouted, avoiding the fact that this child belonged to him and Luna.

"Even if you were to escape," Sombra laughed, "You won't be coming back for anypony."

Bolt didn't understand.

Laughing, Sombra turned to the hospital, and fired a dark blast into the side of the building, making the walls crack severely, as chunks started falling out of the side of the building, until the building was literally falling apart. After only a few seconds, the entire hospital had been reduced to a pile of rubble.

"I guess there's nopony to save now!" Sombra laughed.

"You monster!" Dash shouted, feeling tears start to fill her eyes.

Dax was stunned. He couldn't believe what had just happened… He should have attacked when he had the chance.

Bolt sighed, the nursery had been empty, so no children were killed in that collapse, but there were plenty of patients. He wanted to lunge at Sombra. He wanted to kill him. But he was stuck here.

"So, is this your daughter?" Sombra asked, shocking bolt.

However, he hadn't been referring to the foal. He was talking about Rainbow Dash.

"Yes…" Sombra said, looking her over as she tried to restrain her tears over the collapse of the hospital, "You two carry yourselves the same way."

"I only just met her," Bolt said, hoping to take his attention off of Dash.

"Is that so?" Sombra asked, "Well, perhaps I'll take her anyway… I'll bet you could show me a good time."

Raising a hoof to stroke her face, Dash tried to recoil, but was stuck in place.

"Stop." Dax said angrily.

Sombra looked over to the white alicorn, and saw the raw hatred radiating from his body.

"I'm going to kill you," Dax growled.

"Oh are you?" Sombra laughed, "You cannot even move!"

"I'm going to kill you." Dax growled again.

"Good luck!" Sombra laughed, "Even if you were free, you have no power compared to me!"

Deciding to show off, Sombra started focusing all of his power at the base of his horn, making a strange ripple effect come off of his eyes, as if they were radiating heat.

"Fancy," Dax said simply, angering Sombra.

"Do I need to demonstrate my power to you?" Sombra shouted.

"No." Dax said simply.

Suddenly lunging at Sombra, Dax took him entirely by surprise, and connected with the strongest tackle he could manage.

"What the-?" Sombra shouted as he was tackled away from Rainbow Dash, on to the ground.

Dax surrounded his friends and Sombra within a shield, breaking the paralyzation spell on them, while simultaneously keeping them safe while he had his turn with the King.

Dax decided against using magic to hurt the King, and started wailing on Sombra instead. Punching him over, and over, and over, and over, until his face was a bloody mess.

Dax pulled away from the unicorn, his white hoofs red with blood, and walked backwards.

Sombra struggled to stand after that.

"I'll take your unconditional surrender now," Dax said, panting heavily.

Sombra shot a bolt of magic at the shield, and broke it. Surprising Dax.

"How do you know chaotic magic?" Sombra shouted, backing toward his army, "Your powers are impossible!"

"I know," Dax said.

Dax looked at the massive crowd behind Sombra. He didn't have the kind of energy to take them all on. But… did they know that?

"I'm going to count to three." Dax bluffed, "You are all going to leave, or I'm going to personally dispatch each of you."

A murmuring broke out among the crowd.

Sombra glared at him, not sure if he was serious or not.

Levitating a piece of the rubble from the hospital, Dax threw it into Sombra's face, cutting him deeply above his right eye.

Collapsing to the ground, Sombra placed a hoof over his eye, and glared at Dax with his other.

Dax leaned forward, and took an aggressive stance.

"Come at me, Som-BRAH." Dax smiled cockily.

"Did he just say that?" Bolt asked his friends, as they all shook their heads in disappointment.

Sombra retreated into his group of soldiers, as they surrounded him tightly.

"I'll be back for you," Sombra growled.

"No, you won't." Dax laughed.

Sombra motioned to his army to surround him, as he cast a large teleportation spell, creating a ring on the outside of them, that slowly closed in on the crowd, making each of them disappear as it passed them.

"Before I go…" Sombra said, as his teleportation spell made its way toward him, "I want you to have this!"

Sombra levitated a rapier from one of his soldier's scabbards, and threw it at Bolt, just as his spell reached him, teleporting him away.

Bolt hadn't had time to avoid the attack. The thin blade passed through the hoof that held his child, into the foal, and then into his chest. He collapsed on the ground suddenly, shocking everypony.

"No!" Dax shouted; rushing to Bolt's side.

"I…I… Can't…" Bolt struggled to say, knowing that the sword had passed through his daughter, on its way to him.

Dax swallowed hard as he repositioned himself to see the small foal as it struggled for breath, whining quietly. It's dark blue coat had turned to black as it's blood seeped from its wound.

"I-I'm so sorry Luna…" Bolt struggled, his eyes filling with tears. "I couldn- Couldn't save her… I-I…"

Bolt tried to form the words, but failed. He was dying... And he knew it.

"No…" Dax whispered, lightly nudging the foal, receiving no response.

Dash sobbed quietly on Derpy.

Derpy herself was stunned beyond response.

"Dax…" The Doctor said, fully expecting this kind of outcome, "This is how it needs to be…"

Dax shook his head, still trying to get any kind of reaction from the foal. But, there was none… She was gone.

"Luna could have never had that child," The Doctor said, knowing it made no difference to how he felt, "Not even Celestia herself could change this."

"I don't care!" Dax shouted, "I'm not letting this happen!"

Forcing every ounce of power into his horn, Dax achieved the same ripple effect in his eyes that Sombra had just had.

Touching his horn to the child, Dax pushed that energy into the foal, causing it to twitch lightly in response.

"No…" The Doctor said, stunned.

The energy poured onto the foal as if it were water, and immediately coated her entire chest.

It broke the rapier on both sides of the child, and pushed the remaining piece out of her.

The small wound made by the sword quickly disappeared, leaving her skin as it had been a few moments before.

A few seconds of silence passed, as the foal simply levitated in the air, turned blue by Dax's magic.

And, after what seemed liked forever, the color faded, leaving her motionless in the air.

Next, to everypony's happiness, the foal drew a breath.

"Oh Celestia…" Dash said breathlessly.

Dax sighed happily, panting from the massive power it had just taken from him. However, he still had one thing left to do. He needed to send this child somewhere safe… And suddenly, his mind came up with a place. He had no idea how it got there, but he went with it.

Casting one final spell, she was lifted even higher into the air, and then suddenly disappeared.

Dax collapsed on the ground next to Bolt, Struggling to stay conscious himself.

"S-She's safe…" Dax said to him.

Bolt simply nodded, tears streaming down his face, before closing his eyes, and surrendering to the darkness.

Moments later, Dax himself was out cold.

/-/

Luna shot up in her bed.

Where was she…? What happened to her child? Or Bolt?

"Call for the Princess!" A guard stationed next to the door shouted into the hall, "Her majesty has awoken!"

"What happened?!" Luna shouted frantically, wanting any kind of information.

"You were recovered from the Crystal Kingdom after King Sombra seized control." A guard explained to her, "You've been unconscious for almost three days."

Luna's heart sank.

"Where's Bolt?" Luna asked, "Where's my—"

"Luna!" Celestia said coming in the room, "Thank heavens you're safe…"

"What happened?" Luna asked again, "Bolt was with me in the hospital!"

Celestia's expression hardened.

"What?" Luna asked desperately.

Silence filled the air.

"Bolt was… Killed," Celestia finally said.

"What?!" Luna shouted, "H-How?"

"The hospital was destroyed by King Sombra himself… Everypony inside was killed…" Celestia said solemnly, not having any idea Luna had had a child at all, "His body was seen just outside the rubble."

"W-were there any…" Luna tried to say, realizing that she would have already been told if her child had been recovered.

"Even Stallion, Mare, and foal was killed." Celestia said, seeing the pain in her sisters eyes, "Luna… Sombra will pay for this."

Luna was silent.

"I'm so sorry, sister." Celestia said, having no idea what Luna had truly lost.

"Leave me." Luna said quietly.

Celestia looked to the guards and nodded, as they all left the room.

"Come speak to me when you're ready, sister." Celestia said sadly, knowing that would probably take a long time.

Hearing the door close behind her sister, Luna started to weep.

She had lost so much more than anypony could have known.

/

Alex struggled to open his eyes. He was exhausted…

"Dax?" Dash asked him, as his eyes opened.

"No…" Alex said, "It's me."

"Thank goodness," Dash said, pulling Alex into a hug.

"Where are we?" Alex asked, as Dash pulled away from him.

"We're in my ship," The Doctor said quietly, "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted…" Alex admitted, "Did… Did all that just happen? Or was it all a dream?"

"It happened," Dash said sadly, "But, you saved that foal."

"Dax did," Alex sighed, "I didn't know he had it in him."

"Where did it go?" Derpy asked.

"He sent it somewhere… I don't know where that is though." Alex said.

"It's safe though… right?" Dash asked.

Alex nodded.

Dash sighed happily. At least it hadn't turned out horribly.

"He sent her away from Luna," The Doctor explained, "Her child survived, but the Princess will never know… I think History can cope with that."

Alex nodded. "Dax saved her. Don't worry."

A melancholy silence filled the air, as everypony wanted to ask one simple question.

"What next?" Alex asked finally, "I… I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"Do you want to go home?" The Doctor asked seriously.

The group was silent. They had just been through worse than any of them had ever been.

"We need to finish this," Derpy spoke up, surprising everypony, "I think we've seen too much to just give up…"

Dash nodded, "She's right… We came here to do something, let's do it!"

Alex nodded slowly, resolving to see this through to the end.

The Doctor smiled.

"Alright," He said, "But before we go to Night Mare Moon, I think we should watch the fall of Sombra."

"Yes." Dash said, "I want to see him get his RUMP kicked!"

"Now that I know how this all went down, I wouldn't miss it for anything." Alex agreed, "For Bolt, right everypony?"

The three nodded.

"Great."

/-/

**The Amazing Vanishing act**

/-/

Months had passed since King Sombra had taken over the Crystal Kingdom, however, his plans to invade Equestria had been stomped out.

Princess Celestia had proven herself as quite the commander when it came to battling against Sombra's forces. She had fought them back, with great strategizing at every point he tried to take ground. Unfortunately for him, all of Equestria raised up in arms to help keep him away. Not even his sizable army of advanced magic users could stop them.

Nopony even knew where he recruited those ponies. They weren't crystal ponies, they were just regular unicorns.

Still, most of them had been defeated in battle, and locked away, leaving Sombra locked away in his city with only a few ponies left, behind a massive cloud of chaotic energy. Something that Celestia wouldn't be able to break herself.

She would need Luna.

Unfortunately, Luna hadn't been the same since the initial attack. She had been deeply traumatized by her loss of Bolt. However, Celestia was surprised that she hadn't moved past it by now.

Celestia knew that Luna was heartbroken, and almost felt guilty for feeling the same way. Ever since Luna had heard of the attack, she had stopped truly being Celestia's sister. She had become a shell of the pony she had once been. And that hurt Celestia more than anything ever had.

She had lost her sister. Her constant companion. Even though she was constantly surrounded by ponies that she trusted with her life, she had never felt so alone.

Worse yet, Celestia had been somewhat preoccupied with the war they were waging, and hadn't had the time for Luna that she would have liked. Still… when this was all over with, she could put as much time into her sister as she wanted.

Seeing that the sun had set, leaving only shining stars, Celestia sighed, and headed for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day of planning… She was also going to have to speak with Luna. Something that made her quite nervous... But, right now, there was a war to be won. And even if she was a completely different pony, she was needed her to get into the Crystal Kingdom.

/

Luna sat on the balcony of her chambers, and stared at the night sky.

It was a truly beautiful thing… She wished that she could lose herself in it, and never have to be exposed to the light of day again.

The tears had run dry a few weeks ago, leaving her to simply dwell on everything she could have done. She COULD have stayed in Canterlot, and not hid the pregnancy, she COULD have saved Bolt, she COULD have tried to stop that unicorn, when it knocked her out in the hospital.

But, all of these things were past. All she could do now, was dwell on them.

"Luna?" Celestia said, entering the room.

"Yes, sister…" Luna answered quietly from the balcony.

"I have discussed the next move we plan to make on Sombra," Celestia explained, "We're taking the Crystal Kingdom back."

Luna sat up, exposing her necklace to Celestia, "We're going for Sombra himself?"

"Luna…" Celesta asked, seeing her Element of Harmony hanging around her neck, "Why are you wearing that?"

"For this very moment, Sister," Luna explained emotionlessly, "So I can destroy Sombra myself."

That wasn't the only reason she wore it, however, ever since the Crystal Kingdom, the necklace had started calling to her. Begging her to be worn. She hadn't expected such a calling to come from her Element of Harmony. So, finally giving in, she put it on, and instantly felt an old rush of power that she hadn't experienced since her and Celestia had defeated Discord.

"Luna, you and I will be moving in on him, together." Celestia said seriously, "We need to break his shield, and bring him to justice."

Luna was silent.

"I know that Sombra did unforgivable things to you to you…" Celestia sighed, "I know how you feel—"

"You know nothing!" Luna shouted angrily, her eyes glowing with her dark magical aura "We will move on Sombra tomorrow, and I will deal with him!"

"Luna… You need to listen to yourself!" Celestia said, shocked at her sister's outburst.

Luna growled, making Celestia recoil.

"Leave." Luna said angrily, "I will be ready tomorrow."

Celestia turned away from her sister and exited her room. Something was wrong with Luna… She had never once seen her in this kind of mood. Bolt's death had truly warped her.

Still… Celestia couldn't help but think that she was hiding something from her.

/-/

"Can we please tell her?" Dash asked sadly, "Her baby is alive!"

"I'm sorry… But no…" The Doctor said.

"It makes me so sad…" Derpy said quietly.

"She's been through a lot," Alex said, "More than any of us could ever imagine."

"Let's jump forward to tomorrow..." The Doctor suggested, "We shouldn't stay here for any more than we have to."

Everypony agreed, and entered the ship, as the Doctor once again started the TARDIS.

However, it started grinding loudly, making everypony look to the engine with concern.

"Come on!" The Doctor shouted, kicking the side of the control panel.

"What's happening?" Derpy asked.

"She's being difficult again…" The Doctor grumbled, "Come on! Just a few more trips!"

Alex and Dash looked to each other.

"You know what? Fine!" The Doctor shouted, "You get one night!"

"Is he talking with his ship?" Dash asked Alex.

Alex shrugged, "I don't mind somepony being crazier than me."

"Alright!" The Doctor said, turning to the group behind him, "It looks like we're grounded for the night."

"Inside Luna's room…?" Dash asked.

"No no, we're outside now." The Doctor said.

"Well, are we going to stay in a hotel?" Alex asked.

"No need!" The Doctor smiled, "We can sleep in here."

"Won't it be… kinda uncomfortable?" Dash asked, "I mean, this room has a pretty hard floor."

"You say that like it's the only room!" The Doctor smiled, "I should give you all the grand tour!"

Dash, Alex and Derpy all looked between one another, before finally nodding in agreement.

"Great!" The Doctor said, "Let's start with the library!"

"Library…?" Alex asked.

/

Hours had passed since The Doctor had decided to show his companions around the TARDIS.

And they had gotten quite the surprise when they finally understood the vastness of his ship. Not only was it big on the inside, it was MASSIVE.

They had seen six libraries that they had all explored for a while, four gyms that Alex had personally shown off at each one of, three pools, two of which Dash had done her signature 'Rainbow Cannonball' at, something called an 'Eye of Harmony' which incidentally, had nothing to do with the Elements of Harmony, and finally, they had arrived at the section of the ship that contained the living quarters.

"Here we are!" The Doctor said, gesturing to the long hall of rooms, "Pick whichever one you like!"

"…What's the difference between them all?" Dash asked.

"Themes!" The Doctor said, "Do any of you like cartoons?"

"Isn't this a cartoon already?" Alex asked.

"What?" Derpy asked.

"Never mind." Alex laughed.

"Anyway," The Doctor laughed, "Take your time… Settle down, I'll see you all tomorrow!"

Walking down the hall, The Doctor left the three of them to choose their own room.

"Well," Alex said after a moment of silence, "I'll take this room."

"What theme is it?" Derpy asked.

Alex shrugged, "As long as it has a comfortable bed, I'll sleep in a wooden shack."

"Well that's no fun!" Dash said, smiling to Derpy, "Let's go find the best rooms!"

"Yeah!" Derpy agreed, "I want a muffin room!"

"Uh… We can look, for sure," Dash laughed, knowing that type of room was likely impossible.

"I'll see you girls tomorrow," Alex said, walking backward into his room, leaving them to their room hunt.

Turning around, Alex closed the door, and came face to face with the room he had chosen.

"Dear god…" Alex muttered, "I'm in the muffin room."

He had never seen anything like it. A giant muffin in the corner had been carved out in the shape of a desk… Or a desk had been made in the shape of a carved out muffin? It was too tough to figure that out.

A huge muffin cup had been made into a bed, a chair made of large raisins, even wallpaper that looked like bran.

Alex was truly amazed that this room even existed.

"I guess I should tell Derpy," Alex said, walking back out the door, into an empty hallway.

"Dash?" Alex called, "Derpy?"

No response.

"Where are they?" Alex said to himself, walking across the hall, and opening the door.

It was a room filled with clowns. Alex did not like that one bit. And, since neither Dash nor Derpy were in the room, he decided to leave, before the large, horrifying, inflatable clown started to haunt his dreams.

Stepping out, Alex looked down the hall, just in time to see a rainbow colored tail enter a room a few down from him.

"I like this one!" He heard Dash say, "I like it a LOT!"

Scratching his head, Alex wondered what could possibly be in that room. So, sneaking down the hall, he poked his head into the room.

"Geez…" Alex said to himself, looking into the room. He hadn't seen so many posters of stallions in his entire life. Well… 'Most Stallion Posters in his entire life' wasn't really a hard record to beat… He'd never seen a stallion in a poster before…

But dang, this room was truly covered in male ponies. All of them in some kind of semi-sexy pose, or showing off muscles… It made Alex a wee bit uncomfortable.

"I'm picking this one, for sure!" Dash laughed.

"I still want a muffin room!" Derpy said.

"I got the muffin room…" Alex spoke up, making both the girls turn to him.

"Oh, Alex!" Dash laughed nervously, "Eh… I was just joking about this room!"

"I know I know," Alex laughed, not really upset by the whole thing, "But the room I was in… It was a muffin room."

"Great!" Derpy said happily, trotting out of the room, and heading to the one Alex had previously chosen.

"So!" Dash said awkwardly now that they were alone, "I.. Uh… Well I… Oh come on! You know I wasn't serious!"

"I know," Alex said, truly believing her. "I'd love a room filled with sexy mares myself."

Poor Alex… He was so slow to understand the fairer sex.

"Excuse me?" Dash said, suddenly staring daggers at Alex, making him frown in response.

"That… That's not fair…!" Alex peeped, knowing that he had made a truly grave mistake.

"Maybe we should just go find you a room filled with sexy mares!" Dash said angrily, "Would you like that? Huh?"

Now… This was a VERY important question! And Alex had to choose the right answer VERY carefully.

"I… Would… NOT like that…?" Alex said, looking directly into her eyes, unblinking.

"Lair!" Dash said brushing past him, "Please leave my room!"

Alex frowned, knowing this was an impossible battle.

"Sorry…" Alex said, walking out the door as Dash closed it behind him.

That was unpleasant… But, he knew better than to have this fight. She would cool off soon enough. All girls did.

/

Derpy walked into the room, and felt like she had just walked into heaven. Muffins, muffins, muffins!

It was almost as if The Doctor had had this room made specifically for her… How many ponies just had a 'muffin' room in their time machines?

Walking toward the desk, Derpy leaned forward and sniffed the table lightly.

It smelled delicious!

"Can I eat this?" Derpy said out loud to herself.

"You probably shouldn't," A voice said from behind her.

Turning suddenly, Derpy saw The Doctor standing in front of her.

"I had nearly forgotten about this room," He said softly, "You probably shouldn't see it…"

"Why not?" Derpy asked turning back to the desk, inspecting more of the room, "This is amazing!"

"Derpy, wait—"

"Whose pictures are these?" she asked, inspecting the photos on the desk, "Is this… Me?"

The Doctor was silent. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell her about their past… But, now was as good a time as any.

"I don't remember taking these pictures with you," Derpy said, extremely confused.

"Well, that's because YOU didn't take them with me…" The Doctor tried to explain, "Well, you did! But, you haven't… yet?"

Derpy was lost.

"But… as we go on adventures, we take them!" The Doctor further tried, "So, we just need to keep going, so they can be taken!"

"I… I'm sleepy…" Derpy said quietly, totally lost, and not wanting to admit it to him.

The Doctor sighed, "You've been up for hours… Why not try to get some sleep?"

Derpy nodded.

"I'll come wake you tomorrow morning," The Doctor said, "Before Luna and Celestia march on The Crystal Kingdom"

Turning, The Doctor headed for the door, knowing for sure that time traveling for her had been ruined by all the death and destruction they had experienced. However, he was interrupted by Derpy before he left.

"This has been a lot of fun," Derpy said, surprising him, "I wouldn't mind going some happier places after this."

The Doctor turned back to her and beamed, "I'm sure we could find something!"

"Thanks," Derpy said, settling into the bed, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

The Doctor nodded, and then pressed the light switch, "Sleep tight, Derpy."

Walking out of the room, The Doctor closed his eyes and smiled. He was going to take her on the happiest trip he could. He needed her back.

/

Alex lay in his racecar bed, and stared up at the ceiling, which itself was covered in race tracks and various cars that eyes instead of headlights. His blanket was in a checkerboard pattern, and his pillow read the number 95, as if it was the side of a race car.

After Dash yelled at him, he didn't really care what room he ended up with.

He had instantly gone to the room across the hall, but, it had indeed been filled with several pictures of sexy mares. So, deciding not to push his luck, he took the one beside Dash's instead, as it had been full of harmless cars.

It had been about an hour, and Alex had struggled to find sleep. Unfortunately, it hadn't come to him. He had just watched a pony die in front of him. He had seen a newborn die…Of course; it had been resurrected by Dax, something he was grateful for… But it was still completely unsettling for him to have experienced it.

"I wonder what happened to Luna's child…" Alex said to himself, "If she survived… That means she could have had children of her own… And that means, that she could have grandchildren alive right now."

Alex couldn't believe it… Luna had never had a child, according to history… But would it be okay for him to introduce her to her relatives?

"I'll have to ask The Doctor," Alex said to himself, "I'd love to go find Luna's grandchildren, I'll bet that they—"

"Talking to yourself?" Dash asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Just to all those sexy mares I wish I could sleep with," Alex said, still staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah… Sorry about that…" Dash said, "I REALLY over reacted… I mean, I had JUST said that I liked the stallions."

"They were pretty hot," Alex said to her, "I honestly can't blame you."

Walking toward Alex, Dash smiled, "Yeah… But they were nothing compared to you."

"Stop kissing up," Alex laughed sitting up, watching her advance toward him, "Farm stallions are babes, I have nothing on them."

Dash laughed as she walked toward the bed.

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked.

"I'm just apologizing." Dash said, "Plus, I needed to thank you for what you did earlier."

"Thank me?" Alex asked.

"You saved that foal," Dash said, "Just like I asked you to."

"I didn't," Alex corrected, "It was that evil pony… Dax. All I did was let him take control of me."

"No…" Dash said, now fully understanding that Alex and Dax was the same pony, "He did just what you would have."

Alex didn't want to disagree with her right now; she was obviously on some train of thought.

"That foal is alive because of you," Dash said stopping beside the bed, "Even if it was only because you let Dax run the show."

He may not have known it, but they were two sides of the same coin.

Dax had rescued Bolt when he was in danger, he had kept King Sombra from having his way with her while they were paralyzed, and he saved a completely innocent bystander. Alex would have done all of the same things.

"Listen…" Alex said, "Dax isn't me… He's just not as horrible as we thought."

Dash sighed. She knew Alex wouldn't accept this. He could be a pretty stubborn pony sometimes.

"Well, regardless…" Dash said, her mood visibly changing, "I… I was wondering if I could sleep with you tonight."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "S-sleep with me?"

"Don't get any ideas!" Dash said embarrassingly, "I just… I don't want to be alone tonight."

"After all we saw, I can't blame you." Alex said, shuffling over, making her some room on the racecar bed.

"Thanks," Dash said, climbing under the covers, and snuggling up to him, "I wouldn't be able to sleep alone… Not tonight."

Alex reached a hoof around her shoulder, and pulled her close to him.

"Let's try to get some sleep," Alex said, as Dash rested her head on his chest, "Something tells me that we have plenty to do tomorrow."

Dash nodded slowly, her mind still filled with all that had happened today.

"Hey Alex…" Dash said from his chest, "About what we did before the coronation…"

"Got a little heated, huh?" Alex asked.

"I was just about ready to pounce you," Dash laughed, "Why did that stupid crowning have to start?"

"If it hadn't, we probably would have made been arrested for public indecency." Alex laughed.

"We'll have to keep it to ourselves next time." Dash suggested, "Where nopony is gonna interfere!"

"Next time we're together in private then?" Alex asked, wanting nothing more than finishing what they had started.

"Well… We're in private right now…"

/

The Doctor walked down the hall, stretching himself out. The night had passed fairly quickly, and The Princesses were going to be leaving for the Crystal Kingdom in a few hours.

Checking each room on the way, The Doctor looked for the one the contained Alex, and the one that held Dash.

Checking the 'sexy mare' and 'sexy stallion' rooms, he saw that they were both empty.

Moving to the next room, The Doctor opened it, and immediately recognized it as the racecar room, a personal favorite of one of his previous regenerations. Looking to the bed, he saw Alex and Dash fast asleep, cuddled up to each other. It was precious.

Seeing that they were clearly happy at this moment, he decided to give them some more time relax. They still had a few hours to spare, and the mood wouldn't stay happy like this.

Walking out, he closed the door. Making enough noise to wake Dash.

Opening her eyes slowly, Dash took a moment to figure out just where she was… She was in bed? No... a Racecar bed… With, Alex?

Oh! Right! They had… last night.

Sitting up, she pulled her forelegs above her head and stretched, and then flexed her wings.

"Geez…" Dash said quietly to herself, retracting her wings to her side quickly, "My jaw is really sore…"

Cracking her neck a few times, Dash finally lay back down, and nuzzled into Alex, which caused him to stir.

"Dash?" Alex asked, "What's going… Geez my mouth hurts…"

Alex rotated his tongue around him mouth, and realized how sore it was.

"I didn't expect my tongue to hurt so much." Alex said.

"You were pretty busy with it;" Dash said nonchalantly, "My jaw hurts too."

"I'll get used to it." Alex said simply, stretching out.

"You'd better." Dash smiled.

"What time is it…?" Alex asked.

"Time?" Dash asked, "Is there time here?"

"Maybe not," Alex said, "Oh!"

Pulling his IPod out of seemingly nowhere, Alex clicked the top.

"It's nine," Alex said, "Way too early to be up."

"Especially after all that happened yesterday," Dash added, thinking back to the Crystal Kingdom.

"There was a LOT of making out." Alex said, not getting her reference, "Well, and all the s—"

Dash rolled her eyes as she started to get out of bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Alex asked, levitating her back toward him.

"We should be getting up." Dash said, scooting away, and trying to get off the bed.

"No, I don't think we should," Alex said, levitating her back once again.

Dash thought about it, and decided not to fight him. The Doctor said that more crappy stuff was coming… So enjoying herself would be the best for now.

/

**The Failure, and the Victory**

/

The four assembled in the main chamber of the TARDIS, ready to finish what they had started.

"Is everypony ready?" The Doctor asked, pulling some knobs and throwing a switch on the main panel.

"Yes," Alex said, as the two other girls nodded.

"Good!" The Doctor smiled, "Because the Princesses are already there!"

The three stood awkwardly as they waited for The Doctor to do something, and get them moving again.

"What are you looking at?" The Doctor asked.

"Are we going to go…?" Dash asked.

"We're already here!" The Doctor said, "I was just being polite by letting you go out first!"

"Thanks!" Derpy said, trotting toward the door, followed by Alex and Dash.

"Here we go…" Alex said as Derpy opened the door.

/-/

The two sisters stood at the entrance to the throne room to the Crystal Castle, ready to move in and take down Sombra. The two had broken the spell protecting the city, and had been horrified at what they found.

The streets were dark, ponies were being forced to work by a small group of unicorns… It looked like all love had been drained from the place. Even the castle in the heart of town had been twisted by his darkness, changing the entire building into a perfect evil lair.

Since Sombra had seized the Crystal Heart, he had utilized some kind of memory tampering spell that made the ponies lose all concept of time. For all they knew, they had been doing this for their entire lives.

This had been much like the attack on Discord eleven years ago. However, now they had an army behind them. The Canterlot guard had swiftly taken key points in the city, and was now waiting for the Princesses to defeat Sombra, and return the Crystal Heart to the square in town, so it could be used to repair all the damage he had done.

"We haven't been in this kind of situation since Discord..." Celestia said, hoping to invoke some kind of conversation with her sister. The truth was, Celestia was frightened of what was coming next.

Before, she had Luna's undying support and encouragement. That was the only reason she had been able to help fight Discord. Without Luna, Discord would still be the ruler of Equestria. But now that Luna was so introverted, Celestia was scared for what lay ahead of them.

Luna silently cast a spell, and opened the massive door in front of them, revealing the massive pony inside the room, Sombra.

"Why hello, Princess Luna," Sombra said in his unpleasantly deep voice, "How nice it is to see you again."

Luna growled very uncharacteristically.

"You're finished," Celestia said to him, "We have this castle completely surrounded, and your magic is no match for ours."

Sombra already knew this was true. They bore the single most powerful stones in Equestria. However, he wasn't prepared to just let his kingdom go.

"I'm going to make you a deal," Sombra said, "I wish to walk free, and you may have your Crystal Kingdom back."

"Never!" Luna shouted at him, "You will pay for your crimes!"

"I will not," Sombra said, smiling cockily, "Because I have a failsafe."

"Failsafe?" Celestia asked, "How so?"

"I have cast a curse," Sombra explained, "Should anything happen to me, the spell will trigger and… This entire kingdom will vanish."

"You're bluffing." Luna said, trying to hold back her rage.

"You both know that such spells exist. My wellbeing is tied to it activating." Sombra laughed, "And once I'm gone from here, you can dispel it, not having to worry about me."

"And what happens if we destroy you?" Luna asked.

"Then you destroy the city." Sombra laughed, "The spell will even activate if you try to take any of my power away. The city will only be here while I'm healthy!"

Celestia thought seriously about his offer. She couldn't risk losing all of the ponies in this town, just because she held a grudge against Sombra. However, Luna saw things differently. She had lost much more than Celestia had, and would not likely let this go.

"Luna…" Celestia started, immediately earning a look of shock from her sister, "We should consider this."

"Never!" Luna shouted, "This pony has taken too much from me!"

"Be a good girl, and listen to your big sister," Sombra laughed deeply.

Luna knew that she needed to keep the ponies in this town safe. So, she forced herself to calm down.

"Good girl!" Sombra said, laughing.

"Sombra, if I teleport you away from here, to the furthest point from Equestria, I will allow you to leave," Celestia bargained, "You will never come back… And should you, I will have you executed."

"Fine," Sombra said happily, "There are other places to conquer."

Celestia frowned.

"Tell me, Luna," Sombra said suddenly, "How did it feel?"

Luna cocked an eyebrow.

"To lose your beloved!" Sombra cackled, confident that he was safe at this point.

Luna growled again, feeling power start rushing from her necklace to her horn.

"You should have seen it!" Sombra continued, "I stabbed him right through that foal in his arms!"

No…

"If it weren't for those ponies with him, I would have been able to watch them both die!" Sombra said, shocking Celestia, and enraging Luna, "Maybe he would have survived if he hadn't tried so hard to save that foal!"

Celestia looked to Luna, trying to find the right words… but none came. Sombra was bad mouthing the heroics of the stallion Luna loved. And laughing about it too…

"You. Will. Stop." Luna said, her horn starting to glow.

"You won't hurt me!" Sombra said confidently, "Now be a good girl, and SIT!"

Feeling her Element start giving her even more power, Luna sopped caring about everything. Celestia, The Crystal Kingdom, Her own wellbeing… It was all gone now.

Lunging across the room, Luna knocked Sombra on to his back.

"You will pay for what you took for me," Luna growled, firing a beam of energy into Sombra's chest.

Screaming out in pain, Sombra felt himself start to burn in every nerve in his body.

"Luna!" Celestia shouted, trying to intervene. However, Luna had erected a shield around herself.

Next, the ground started to shake. His failsafe spell must have been activated.

"Luna, we need to go!" Celestia shouted again.

Luna responded was a dark laughter as she continued to pour energy into Sombra. After a few moments, his hind legs start to liquefy into a dark puddle beneath them.

Celestia wasn't sure if Luna was melting him, or casting some other kind spell on him, but she needed to get out of here, and try to save as many ponies as she could. She would come back as soon as she could.

Rushing out the door behind them, Celestia regretfully left Luna to torture Sombra.

"S-stop!" Sombra managed to say, between the wailing and screaming.

"You want me to stop?" Luna asked darkly, "Well, let me tell you a story…"

"The foal that Bolt carried in his arms, was the foal that I carried for twelve months!" Luna shouted, pushing the beam into him harder.

Sombra went wide eyed. Whether it was because of pain, or because he realized that he had killed Luna's daughter, nopony knew. But at this moment in time, he regretted what he had done.

"You are going to suffer more than anypony ever has!" Luna shouted again, watching the remainder of his hind legs melt onto the floor.

"You took away my life!" Luna shouted, intensifying the attack.

Sombra's cries for mercy had long since stopped, and were now staggered groans from his delirious state of mind.

"You took away the only stallion I could ever love!" Luna shouted again, forcing more power out, accelerating the process, as his stomach started to melt into the floor.

"And… You took away my **child!**" She finished, opening the flood gates, liquefying the rest of Sombra instantly.

Standing up from the puddle on the floor, Luna stomped the ground, splashing a bit of the puddle on her face.

Wiping it off, she levitated it off the floor.

"You will spend the remainder of your days as a shadow!" Luna growled, holding the shadow-Sombra above her.

Teleporting them outside of the castle, Luna looked around, until she spotted a beautifully large crack in some ice, a few miles away.

"Enjoy your imprisonment," Luna said, hurling the liquid toward the broken sheet of ice, as the Crystal Kingdom around her started to glow in a dark aura.

Sombra was barely aware of what was going on at that point... Luna had made sure he wouldn't be in his right mind any time soon. However, he knew the Crystal Kingdom wouldn't be saved. So, when he finally found a way back to reality, he would be ready to take it over again.

/

Celestia had spread the word amongst the guards, and they were all working on evacuating themselves. She had gotten reports of attempts to evacuate the citizens failing, due to some kind of apathy that the citizens were exhibiting.

Everypony was so desensitized by Sombra's magic that they made no attempt to flee the slowly vanishing city.

So, finally, the guards were forced to evacuate the Kingdom.

Celestia stood just outside the limits of the city, and watched as her soldiers filed past her, some carrying prisoners or dazed citizens, and others nursing wounds of their own.

However, she was not concerned about them. She was still waiting for Luna to exit the Kingdom. If she were to lose her here… She didn't even want to imagine it.

Even though Luna had just caused the entire Kingdom to start fading into nonexistence, she needed to make sure that she got out. These ponies could be saved in one way or another… she was sure. Her sister had just had a momentary lapse in judgment.

Dark wells of magic had started seeping through the ground, and latching on to the buildings, with long dark arms, to the buildings around town. After a building had been covered in the darkness long enough, it started to fade, until it disappeared completely.

"Who are we missing?" Celestia asked the captain of the guard.

"We're missing one soldier… And your Princess Luna," He answered grimly.

"I'm going back in," Celestia said determinedly, "She's still in there… I can't leave her."

"Princess, I beg you…" The Captain said, "You can't risk yourself. Let me go."

Celestia shook her head. "I will be out before the Kingdom falls."

The captain sighed.

"I will return with my sister… And our missing soldier if I come across him." Celestia offered.

"Please do." He said, knowing that argument was no longer an option.

Celestia spread her wings, and took off into the city.

/

Flying through the vanishing city, Celestia was shocked at the way his magic worked. The blackness simply attached itself to everything it came across, and pulled it into the ground, leaving nothing.

Most ponies in town were now either vanished, or frozen in place, as the magic coated them, and prepared to pull them down, like everything else.

Celestia had been moving to avoid the spikes of magic rising from the ground, as they tried to snag her from the sky. It was easy for her to dodge them, but they were increasing in numbers… Soon, she would be forced to keep high in the sky, too far to help Luna.

First, she had gone and inspected the entire Castle, from the court yard to the throne room, but had not seen any sign of her sister.

Almost ten minutes had passed since then, and Celestia was starting to panic. The dark tendrils in the ground were now almost constantly nipping at her hoofs, trying to take her with the rest of the rapidly disappearing city.

She had checked the library, the town square, the college, and even the theater, in a desperate attempt to find her sister. Celestia thought as fast as she could, trying to figure out just where her sister could have gone. Then, suddenly, she got an idea.

The ruins of the hospital.

Turning sharply to the right, Celestia gunned for the Hospital. This didn't have much time left. Most of the city was gone. Luckily, she was heading back toward the edge of town, meaning that Luna hadn't been engulfed just yet.

Scanning the area, Celestia was extremely relieved to see Luna standing a few feet away from the crumbled building.

"Sister!" Celestia shouted, slamming into the ground as fast as she could, "We need to leave!"

Luna didn't answer her.

The blackness started approaching them on all sides. They were running out of time.

"Luna!" Celestia shouted, "Please!"

"This is the place where my life ended." Luna said quietly, "On this spot."

Celestia hadn't noticed it first, but Luna sat in front of a large dark stain on the ground, with the remains of a sword broken around it.

"I lost everything here," Luna squeaked, a tear rolling down her cheek.

The darkness was only seconds away from them now.

"Luna, I'm so sorry, but we need to leave," Celestia said, "Bolt would want that."

"I know…" Luna said, "I simply needed to see this place before it fades forever."

Luna stood up for a moment, before collapsing on the ground.

"What's wrong?" Celestia asked, panicked, as the magic started to reach for her and her sister.

"I have no energy remaining…" Luna said exhaustedly, "Perhaps- Perhaps you should leave me…"

"Never." Celestia said, immediately levitating her sister off the ground, and on to her back.

"I'll fly you out myself." Celestia said softly, "Hold on tight."

Positioning Luna just right, Celestia spread her wings, and took to the sky once again, just as the blackness enveloped the ground they had stood on.

Celestia looked to the nearest edge of the city, and started flying as fast as she could, she was getting out of here.

Unfortunately, the dark magic had other ideas.

Celestia flew the two of them through town, barely dodging the forest of tendrils that were constantly reaching for them.

She was close now… She could see the line of guards that surrounded the outside of the town.

Unfortunately, her moment of focus on the ponies outside of town, took away from her concentration on her constant dodging of bark magic, and she was hit by one of the arms of magic on her hind leg.

The magic wasn't strong enough to stop her, but it was enough to slow her down, and allow several other tendrils to attach to her.

Each one added a bit more resistance until she was moving at an almost crawling pace.

"Princess, I'm coming to assist you!" A pony shouted from behind them.

The final soldier in the city flew through the sky, much lower than Celestia had been.

Pulling out his sword, he sliced at the tentacles that tried to hold Celestia back, cutting them from the base, making them vanish from the Princess.

Celestia felt the resistance begin to fade as this pony flew through the streets below, slicing her restraints off. She had never been happier to see a guard.

The guard cut down the street until only a few magic streaks held on to the Princesses.

Flapping his wings powerfully, he elevated to the level of the sisters, and sliced at the tendrils that tried to grab hold of the three of them.

Celestia beat her wings as powerfully as she could, to compensate for the few attached arms that slowed her.

The three were only a few feet away from the edge when the magic started to try attacking in far greater numbers. It must have been getting desperate, as it was actually pulling away from buildings to get her. But she wasn't stopping now.

Feeling herself pull away from the last of the magic, Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. She assumed that it had given up on capturing her.

"Princess!" The Guard shouted, "Watch out!"

Celestia turned her head back, and saw just why the magic had pulled away. Instead of attacking her in vines, it had pulled together, and formed what looked like a 200-foot tall tsunami. Now, not only was it heading for Celestia and Luna, but it was going to crash into her entire army on the outside of the city. She wished that she could cast a teleportation spell away, but it would have taken far too long, and would have left her in the jaws of the beast behind them.

Of course, when the royal guards saw the mass of blackness heading for them, they called the few unicorns among them to try and stop the magic, and save their Princesses.

Celestia was now outside of the Kingdom, but was losing distance between her and the blackness. The darkness was moving much faster than she was. It was going to overtake her any moment.

Suddenly, a dozen beams fired past her and impacted the mass, slowing it down considerably.

Stopping, Celestia turned and watched the darkness start to push past her army's magic. I was succeeding. Thinking quickly, she decided to stop it here. She pointed her horn at it, and put as much power as she could into her attack.

At first, it simply froze…

Next, it started to melt, as if the mass had lost whatever was holding it together, the blackness looked like ice cream that had been left out a bit too long in the middle of summer.

Finally, after a few moments of slow, silent melting, the beast exploded out its back, coating the final chunk of the Crystal Kingdom, that it had left in pursuit of the Princess only moments ago.

Celestia frowned as she watched the city below her start to disappear. So many ponies were lost…

Lowering them from the sky, Celestia put Luna down as her army surrounded the two of them.

"What happened?" One guard asked, "Did Sombra do all of this?"

"What a horrible pony!" Another shouted.

"Princess…" The Captain asked, "How did all of this happen?"

Celestia sighed, "Sombra… attacked Luna and myself, But we defeated him."

"But what about all this?" He asked.

"It was his final move," Celestia explained, hating that she was lying to everypony around her, "His final spell made the kingdom suffer the same fate as him."

The Captain growled.

Celestia looked down to her sister and sighed. Luna had done so much damage…

"The Kingdom will return," Luna said, barely conscious.

"What?" Celestia asked, "How do you know this?"

"I didn't kill him," Luna admitted, "I turned him into a shadow."

"A shadow…?" Celestia asked, knowing what that meant, "A pony with his kind of power will be able to reform himself!"

Luna nodded, "I do not know how long it will take for him to recover, but my spell will keep him at bay for now."

"That's great!" A pony said, "When he comes back, we'll just do this again, and keep him from destroying the Kingdom!"

"Count me in too!" The Captain announced, "Who's with us?"

The entire army cheered in response.

"I'm afraid… That won't be possible," Celestia said to the group, silencing the cheers, "I don't think Sombra will be back any time soon."

"How long?" One asked.

"A thousand years?" Celestia estimated, "It could be even more."

An eerie silence swept across the crowd.

Suddenly, the pony who had followed behind the Princesses during their escape, stepped forward.

"Then promise me," He asked, limping forward, "You'll stop him when he comes back."

Celestia could suddenly feel everypony's eyes on her, as if they were expecting her to promise to be back here in a thousand years. She wasn't sure that she could make that promise.

"We will." Luna announced, standing up shakily, "I promise you all, that when Sombra comes back, I will dispatch him myself!"

The crowd erupted in to cheers in response.

Luna leaned forward to Celestia's ear, "I destroyed this town… I will repair the damage I have done, when the time comes."

Celestia nodded slowly, "I will stand with you, sister."

Luna fell to one knee, grimacing.

"Are you alright?" Celestia asked.

"Yes…" Luna answered, lowering herself to the ground again, "I simply need some time to sleep."

Celestia nodded, casting her teleportation spell to take them all back to Canterlot. There was absolutely nothing left here for them to do. Where the Kingdom had just stood, was now nothing but ice.

But, when the kingdom came back, she would be there to save it.

/

"So that's why I've never heard of the Crystal Kingdom…" Dash said, watching the final piece of the city fade from existence.

"Sombra was a monster." Alex said, "Especially after trying to get off scot-free like that."

"I hate him!" Derpy growled, "Don't you, Doctor?"

The Doctor was again silent over something.

"What is it?" Alex asked, seeing his strange expression.

"That pony, over there." The Doctor said, pointing to the one that had helped the Princesses escape from the black mass, "He doesn't have a baby."

"So…?" Dash asked, "What does that even mean?"

"Last time he had a baby with him… She was only a few months old. It was one that he rescued from the Kingdom!" The Doctor explained, "There's no baby this time!"

"So… did he miss it this time?" Dash asked, her heart sinking, "It's trapped with its parents in the Kingdom now?"

"It wasn't a crystal pony though… It was an abandoned orphan he had said." The Doctor said, his expression suddenly shifting to one of happiness, "That's brilliant!"

"What is…?" Alex asked.

"That foal was a NORMAL pony!" The Doctor laughed, as it dawned on Alex as well, "And the only normal ponies to have a child in the kingdom around that time were-"

"Luna and Bolt!" Alex said, suddenly getting it, "That means…"

"That means that her child never died!" The Doctor finished happily, "She must have gotten to safety somehow!"

Dash was completely lost in this development.

"Could somepony PLEASE speak English?" Dash asked.

The Doctor thought for a moment, then tried his best to explain what they had figured out.

"Luna and Bolt were the only non-crystal ponies to have a child before Sombra took over," He explained, "Which means that there was only ONE normal foal that could be a few months old in the entire Kingdom!"

"Oh!" Dash and Derpy said together.

Alex and The Doctor gave each other a high five, happy to learn that Luna had never lost a child.

"But, it was stabbed!" Dash said quickly, "How did it survive that without Dax?"

"It only happened that way in this universe because we intervened," The Doctor explained giddily, "We saved Bolt from that gang of ponies! In my timeline, he must have been captured by them, and separated from the child, where it was later found by that guard pony!"

"Thank Celestia," Dash said happily, "But, where did that foal end up after Dax teleported it away?"

"Probably that same place it ended up in my world," The Doctor said, "Time has a funny way of making things happen the way they're supposed to."

"We should find her!" Derpy suggested, "Well… After we're done here!"

"What? no!" The Doctor said quickly, "That could cause irreparable damage to time and space and… aw, who am I kidding? I want to know too!"

Everypony laughed.

"Next stop, Canterlot!" The Doctor said, trotting back into the TARDIS, "We still have plenty to learn."

Everypony followed him, excited to see what was coming next for them.

/-/

Of course, the next phase of Luna's downfall took a very long time to come around. The Doctor couldn't possibly take them to every event that led to her transformation into Night Mare Moon. There was simply too much. So, he decided to take them to several milestones along her path, showing the changes in a much more noticeable way. It would still be a slow process, but he saw no other way.

/-/

After the two Princesses returned to Canterlot, life resumed, taking them back to a semi-normal life style.

Luna had somewhat become her old self again… Save a few odd occurrences with her attitude.

Sure, she was smiling again, she was present in Canterlot… But she had some rather strange moments. It was almost like she had two personalities. But, that would have been impossible. Luna would never let such a thing happen. One other odd thing she was doing, was keeping her Element around her neck. She refused to take it off. As far as anypony knew, this wasn't a bad thing. So, Celestia never said anything.

"Sister," Celestia asked, walking into her room at the top of the tower, "Dinner is prepared, I've been waiting for you for some time."

"My apologies, I lost track of time," Luna said, looking away from the star filled sky, "Isn't the night beautiful, sister?"

Celestia cocked her head.

"I suppose it is," Celestia said, "It's quite a peaceful time."

"A shame," Luna said, confusing Celestia further.

"Shame?" Celestia asked, frowning.

"It's nothing," Luna said, smiling up to her sister, "What was prepared tonight?"

"Salad, fruit, cake…" Celestia sighed unhappily, "Just Like every other night."

"I do miss living off of unhealthy food," Luna giggled, "It always tasted better."

"I wonder how the chef would feel if we requested a pizza…" Celestia asked.

"He'll probably explode!" Luna laughed, "He has such a stick up his butt!"

The two enjoyed a giggling fit for a few minutes together, before finally calming down, and heading off together for dinner.

Celestia had seen Luna's strange mood once again. But, hopefully, it would vanish with time. That was the most she could hope for her sister.

/

The two walked back from dinner, and talked lightly about various things they had been doing lately, or ponies that they had met. A rather typical conversation for them.

"You know, Sister…" Luna said, "I experienced something rather unpleasant today in town."

"Oh?" Celestia asked.

"I was walking through town, and a school filly… She was frightened of me." Luna said slowly, her brow furrowed in frustration, "She acted like I was some kind of beast."

"Really?" Celestia asked, knowing that there had been some talk around town of Luna's attitude changing since she had come back from the Crystal Kingdom, "Perhaps you just need to be in town a little more…"

Celestia hoped that this suggestion would get Luna up and about a little more.

"Perhaps," Luna said, "I've become a bit of a night owl recently… In fact, the dinner we just ate, was a bit more like breakfast for me."

"I've noticed that," Celestia sighed, "Do you have any plans of readjusting your sleep schedule?"

"Not at the moment," Luna said, "I'm enjoying the peace that comes with the night."

"Well, I can't imagine the towns ponies getting closer to you if you're only up at night," Celestia said, hoping to show her some reason.

"I will see them right before they go to bed!" Luna laughed, "In fact, I had plans to do that right now!"

"I don't know if—"

"Don't worry about me sister!" Luna smiled, walking away from Celestia, heading toward the front door of the castle, "I will make sure to change that filly's mind!"

"If you insist," Celestia gave up, "I hope that this plan works for you."

"I'm sure that it will!" Luna said, "I'll see you in the morning!"

And with that, Luna headed off into town; she would spend tonight in the streets, and watch over Canterlot.

/

Luna walked down the quiet streets of Canterlot, heading toward the small park where she had encountered the young girl last time. It was the same time of day, so she was hoping that she would be here.

And, sure enough, there she was, playing at the park just as she had been before, swinging on the same swing as before.

Luna knew the attitude of this filly well… the young, pink Pegasus loved feeling of flying. Something that Luna understood. At her young age, she probably wasn't able to fly yet. And this swing was her way of reaching the sky, without needing her wings. She had no Cutie mark, but she was starting to get to the age where she would be earning it.

Luna breathed deeply, and headed toward the filly. This was it! She was going to get this pony to like her!

"Hello, young one!" Luna said to the girl, frightening her off the swing, and into a bush.

"You have no need to hide from me!" Luna said sweetly, "I'm the Princess!"

The girl peeked her head out from the bush, still very unsure.

"Please…" Luna said.

A long silence followed, as Luna held her breath, and hoped that she would come out, and join her in a conversation.

Deciding not to take the risk, the small girl ran from the bush, back toward town, going wherever it was that she lived.

Luna sighed quietly.

"Perhaps… I will simply walk tonight," Luna said to herself, "I don't want to frighten anypony… And besides! I can always come back and see the filly tomorrow!"

And that's what she did.

/-/

Luna's first real signs of trouble had started at this time.

She had recovered from her ordeal at the Crystal Kingdom somewhat, and was starting to show signs of being herself once again. She had even started helping Celestia with ruling Equestria, something her sister loved, as doing all the work alone kept her in a constant state of stress…

She was happy to have her back.

Unfortunately when she started doing her nightly walks through the city, she had started to get a worse reputation, rather than a better one.

She would roam the streets in silence, never speaking, always ignoring the ponies she passed.

The only time she would change her routine, was when she would encounter the young pegasus, playing at that playground.

Of course, she had run from Luna each time, as the scary stories surrounding her had only gotten worse once she started roaming the streets at night. But, she always came back to the park, and was always confronted by the princess.

The truth was, she loved seeing Luna every night… It had become a bit of a game for her.

At first, Luna had been saddened each time the foal ran away… But she became used to it. It was a fact that she had accepted.

Normally, she would have never accepted such a truth. Being disliked was never something she would have stood for. Especially from a filly! But, she found herself caring very little at this time.

Luna had continued this way for years. She would always stop by the park, and have the girl run away. But, one day, something changed.

The girl stopped coming.

And after all of those years, Luna had never once exchanged a word with the young girl. And even though the foal had always thought their time together had been fun, she had never expressed that to Luna.

And, had she done that, then perhaps she could have changed the entire history of Equestria.

/-/

**5 Years Later**

/-/

Luna sat in her room, once again staring into the sky, as she did every night, just before leaving on her nightly stroll.

The time she spent in the city, had shown her just how the ponies felt about her. Of course, she had had a horrible attitude recently toward the ponies in town. She had been silent, she had been assertive, and she had been quietly dominant.

She had frightened those ponies, and didn't care whatsoever.

She had truly become a new pony recently. Ever since she had started keeping her Element on her at all times, her attitude had been changed completely.

Its effects were so gradual... And she had always thought of it as a blessing. She had first put it on after she heard of Bolt's and her foal's death. It took her mind away from the sadness, and focused it on anger.

It had kept the pain away even AFTER Sombra was defeated.

She had wanted to take it off after she had had her revenge, but something was telling her not to. Whatever it was that was that had been keeping it on her, had somehow instilled some kind of fear in her as well, that taking the necklace off would bring all those sad feelings poring back into her.

Of course, she had no real way of knowing that would happen… But that didn't matter she would never risk feeling that way again.

So, she knew it could never be taken off. She would simply live with the small changes, and hopefully, keep herself sane as time passed.

Still… as much as she had been changed into a new pony, she always had one thing… One thing that would never change, no matter how much she did.

The night.

The beautiful sky stretched above her, was the single most beautiful thing in existence… It was a shame that everypony was asleep.

Closing her eyes, Luna let her mind start to wander.

Luna had thought many times, that the waking hours of the day should be changed… Everypony waking later, and going to bed later.

That way everypony could enjoy the night, just as she did every time the sun went down.

Would Celestia agree with something like that?

Perhaps she could ask… Yes. She would do that.

Opening her eyes and looking back to the sky, Luna smiled. She had a good feeling about this.

/

"Luna… no." Celestia said, shocked, "Of course we can't do that."

"Why not?!" Luna shouted, "This is a good idea!"

"These ponies just got used to a normal day and night cycle," Celestia explained, "I'd never change it on them so suddenly, whether they want it or not!"

"Sister," Luna asked, teeming with a strange intensity Celestia had never seen, "I am just as much a princess as you! Why are you fighting me?"

"I can't believe you would ask me such a thing!" Celestia shouted to Luna, flaring her wings powerfully, "You're asking me to agree with you on changing the hours of the day! I will never allow such a change!"

Immediately, Luna was snapped out of her strange attitude. And was now at the mercy of her angry sister.

"Sister, wait! I—"

"No!" Celestia cut off, "I cannot believe that you would approach me, with such an insane question! You're supposed to be smarter than this, Luna!"

"But—"

"No 'buts'!" Celestia interrupted again, standing up, "Leave this alone!"

"Just listen to me!" Luna begged, tears falling down her eyes.

"I won't hear another word of this!" Celestia said angrily, "Return to your chambers."

Luna couldn't believe that she had just been spoken to his way, by her own sister.

Normally, Luna had been the one in charge. The one to scold when something went wrong. But now she was just a selfish child in the eyes of her sister.

Had this been Celestia's reaction to an insane pony from town, Luna would have loved to see this kind of attitude from her sister. It's the sign of a truly worthy ruler, who was firm in their beliefs. But… When that anger, and passion was turned toward her… It didn't feel good. It made her want to cry.

So, after teleporting herself to her room, that's exactly what she did.

/

**2 weeks later**

/

Celestia had been anxious all day.

A few weeks ago, she had exploded at her sister, over something that was… Perhaps not worth such a reaction. And, it had led to Luna's ignoring her.

The thing was… Luna hadn't exactly pushed her idea on her… She had asked for an opinion from the residents of Canterlot, and for just a chance to try it out.

Celestia almost felt like she had been the unreasonable one… And yet, it felt like there was something behind Luna's suggestion. Something… off.

It was the same thing that had seemed off about Luna since the death of Bolt.

Of course, Celestia could never truly know if Luna's attitude had been permanently damaged by the death of Bolt, or if there had been some other kind of influence on her.

One possible influence was, of course, her Element.

It hadn't left her neck since the Crystal Kingdom.

Was it possible that such an overpowering stone could change her sister's entire attitude? Of course it was.

But, at the same time, Luna could just be a new pony as a result of Bolt's death.

No… That wasn't possible.

A famous saying came to her mind, as she thought of her sister, 'Time heals all wounds.'

And it had.

Celestia had seen Luna up and about after she defeated Sombra. She had been her old self!

But, over the years, she had become increasingly irritable. She would argue over very small things, she would shout at the guards for little reason… After which, she would head off into town, and scare everypony she had come across.

But, she still had her happy, normal side to her.

She would be an angry Princess at one moment, and then turn around and become her usual self again.

She had two personalities…

Something she was going to confront her with tonight, once the sun had set. She was going to get some answers about all of this. And, hopefully, get Luna on the road to becoming her sister once again.

That was, if she was even going to talk to her.

/

Luna looked up to the sky, her attitude still spoiled from her argument with her sister. Nightfall was coming, and she could feel Celestia coming to her room, to apologize she was sure. A part of her knew that she had crossed a line, and yet, she didn't care. This wasn't a matter of what she wanted at this point… It was a matter of what everypony else SHOULD have wanted.

She just couldn't comprehend why ponies slept through the night. Weren't they sick of the day?

Every day it was the same. The sun would come up, they would go about their business, the sun would go down, they would go inside and go to sleep.

Maybe it was because they were so used to it, and it would be a huge pain to change their schedules.

Then again, most of them had been alive during Discords rule. He had no set times for sunset and sun rise. So, they must have been used to it then! It would have been easy for them to change once again! All it would take is a bit of a push…

Shaking her head, Luna tried to get a grip on herself. These weren't her thoughts… Well, they partly were. But, something was twisting them… and changing them into completely different things. And, as she knew, that 'something' was her necklace.

But, as hard as she tried, the anger simply came back in, and forced her back to those twisted ideas.

"Luna?" Celestia asked, opening her room.

Luna was silent.

Deep down, she wanted to apologize, but her anger kept her far from it.

"I wanted to apologize for my outburst…" Celestia said, "I was wrong to do that to you."

Luna smiled. She was happy to hear her sister apologizing like this.

"Yes you were." Luna said darkly.

Celestia sighed, Luna wasn't herself right now.

"You had no right to speak to me that way," Luna growled.

Celestia closed her eyes. This wasn't good at all.

"So, have you come to grant me my request?" Luna asked, in a rather rude tone, "If you haven't, then please leave."

"No," Celestia said, "I haven't come to allow you to do anything."

"No?" Luna asked, "Then _leave._"

"I won't." Celestia said again, her eyes still closed.

"Excuse me?" Luna asked, "You have no right to be here now!"

"Yes I do!" Celestia said, opening her eyes, revealing the tears that had glazed her eyes over, "I'm worried about you!"

Luna didn't speak.

"You're not yourself, Luna!" Celestia managed, her voice cracking slightly, "And you haven't been yourself for a long time!"

Celestia looked at her sadly, as a tear fell from her cheek to the floor.

Luna was stunned, Celestia had broken down almost instantly in front of her.

"Ever since you started wearing that Element… You've been a different pony!" Celestia cried, tears now flowing freely, "I… I just want you to be my big sister again."

A part of Luna wanted to apologize, she wanted to go hug her sister, and promise to never fight with her again. But the past few weeks of brooding, and resentment had fed her Element, making all of those feeling multiply... Luna had changed remarkably over these weeks.

Celestia had started a chain reaction within her sister. One that everypony would soon see the outcome of.

"You are the eldest," Luna said coldly, "You are the _big _sister."

"Luna, please take your Element off…" Celestia begged, "It's the cause of all this!"

"Never!" Luna shouted, giving at truly mortified look, "This necklace has made me powerful! I destroyed Sombra myself!"

"You doomed the entire Crystal Kingdom!" Celestia shouted through the tears, "They're gone, all because of you!"

Luna growled, "You have no right to blame me for that! You don't know what I lost!"

"You lost so much," Celestia said breathlessly, "But, you can't just stop living life because you lose somepony! Our losses define us!"

"And this loss defined me!" Luna said, her necklace starting to feed her power, "It has turned me into what you see here!"

"No it hasn't!" Celestia tried to explain, "Your necklace has done this to you! Nothing else!"

The immense power radiating from Luna started extending her starry mane, giving it a more gas-like look, as it started to float around her.

"My Element has given me power in my time of weakness!" Luna said, genuinely believing this, "It's been here for me, much more than you have been!"

Celestia didn't respond, she simply turned, and walked toward the door. Sadness riddling her face.

"Where are you going?" Luna demanded, "We haven't finished this argument!"

"I'm so sorry that you've become this," Celestia sighed, "I'm so… So sorry."

With that, Celestia left the room.

Immediately, the power in Luna started to recede. She was forcing it back. The anger, the hate… It was hurting Celestia, and she didn't like that one bit. So she was going to go to her right now, and apologize.

However, before Luna was able to calm herself down to the point that she could call her sister back to her, she felt her Element start to get hot. It wasn't allowing her to do this. Her anger had taken on a life of its own; it was outside of her management.

Immediately, the anger came back, and it wasn't going anywhere this time.

Luna smiled, as she felt it all come back to her.

Looking to the darkening sky, Luna left her room, and headed for the throne room.

Celestia had stood firm on her choice to keep hours the same. But, Luna wasn't satisfied with that.

"Why is there a sun anyway? It would be better if there was just a moon." Luna said to herself before stopping, and considering the idea that had just come to her head, "All night… All the time."

It was the best idea she had ever had.

/

**One Month Later**

/

Of course, things only went downhill from this point.

Luna had essentially stopped being herself. She would now rarely speak with Celestia, despite her sister's constant attempts to try and smooth things over.

Finally, Celestia had even started planning on some way of removing her Element from her sisters neck. But, whether she would actually go through with such a thing was still up in the air for her.

If Luna were to catch her trying to do anything like that, things would go south fast, probably ending with some kind of fallout between them, and most likely a public disgrace of them both… which, was the worst case scenario.

Well, that's what she THOUGHT was worst case…

/

Celestia stood on the main balcony, overlooking the front gate of the castle.

The sun was setting, and Celestia was preparing for a short conversation with Luna, as they hadn't really exchanged words since their argument a month ago, despite Celestia attempts otherwise.

But, over the last week, Luna had had a strange expression… As if she knew something that Celestia didn't. It was a kind of quiet satisfaction that Celestia didn't understand.

It worried her, to say the least.

"Sister?" A calm voice said from behind her.

"Luna?" Celestia said, turning around, seeing her sister, "You're here to raise the moon?"

Luna nodded, giving a small smirk.

"Luna… Is there something you're not telling me?" Celestia asked, concerned.

"Of course not, sister." Luna said in a static tone, "Why do you ask?"

Celestia frowned, Luna was absolutely hiding something.

"Please, go to bed," Luna said calmly, "I'll watch over the night."

"Luna, I—"

"Sister, we will have plenty of time to talk tomorrow," Luna smiled darkly, "Please, leave the night to me."

With that, Luna turned, and walked off the balcony, and into the throne room.

Celestia sighed, she hadn't been able to talk to Luna at all, as usual… But, she could just talk to Luna tomorrow. It would give her more time to think about what she would say to her anyway.

/

Celestia yawned as she opened her eyes, it would be time for her to raise the sun soon.

Looking to her window, she was surprised to see that is was still dark out. Had she woken up early?

Turning to her bedside table, she was surprised to see that it was indeed, just before sunrise. So, why was it still so dark out?

The moon was hanging high in the sky, exactly where the sun would go when it would rise. That was why it hadn't started to come up on its own. The moon blocked its path.

Quickly getting out of bed, Celestia cast a spell making herself presentable, and headed out the door.

What was Luna doing?

"Luna!" Celestia said, walking into the throne room, "What are you doing? It's almost time to raise the sun!"

Luna laughed slowly.

"What's going on Luna?" Celestia demanded, "What is this?"

"You know, sister…" Luna finally spoke, "Since you denied my request to make the day different hours, I've been… formulating a plan."

"What kind of plan?" Celestia asked, her voice deep and threatening.

"I've decided, that since you don't plan on seeing reason, I will force it upon you!" Luna laughed.

Celestia felt her heart sink. She couldn't believe that Luna was doing this.

"The night is a beautiful thing, sister." Luna said, in some effort to explain herself, "And I think it's time that I shared my passion with everypony!"

"That's crazy!" Celestia said, "This is the wrong way to go about this!"

"I already tried to go about this the RIGHT way!" Luna shouted, showing her anger, "You shot me down! You told me I couldn't even TRY!"

"Luna, I was trying to save you!" Celestia said.

"Save me from what?" Luna demanded, "I'm sure that a bunch of ponies would have been excited to try it out!"

"No… They wouldn't have," Celestia said sadly, "Everypony would have been against such an idea."

"How do you know?" Luna asked, offended that she had such an opinion of the night.

"Just use your brain, Luna!" Celestia shouted, "If ponies want more night, why do they sleep through it?"

"Because that is the norm!" Luna argued, "All it would take is a small change!"

"Then what about winter?" Celestia asked, "Days are shorter during the winter, and ponies spend no more time enjoying the night then! They go inside, and hide from it!"

Luna was silent; perhaps this wasn't as thought out as she thought.

"Ponies WORK during the day because of the light!" Celestia continued, "And when the darkness falls, they go to bed, and rest. This is how it has been, and this is how it will remain to be!"

Luna growled, she knew that any argument she tried would be taken down by her sister.

"Please, Luna," Celestia said, "Stop this right now!"

Luna thought for a moment. What should she do?

She could surrender, and allow the sun to come back… Or stand her ground, and keep the night.

"I'm asking you, as your sister, to PLEASE stop this." Celestia begged, "Before this goes too far!"

/

A long silence filled the room, as Alex, Dash, Derpy, and The Doctor watched the scene unfold.

Luna was obviously deep in contemplation, leaving everypony on the edge of their seats.

"Is this where it all ends?" Dash asked.

"Shhhh!" The three said to her in unison.

"Fine! Geez!" Dash said quietly, "Let's just keep—"

"No." Luna said simply.

"Ooooh!" Dash said again, earning a hard look from Alex.

"Remind me to never go see a movie with you," Alex said under his breath.

Celestia looked genuinely heartbroken at her saying this.

"I will not lower the moon." Luna reiterated, "And, I don't care if anypony likes it, or not."

"Luna, I can't allow that," Celestia said, walking toward her sister, "And I will lower the moon myself, if you refuse to."

Luna looked at Celestia darkly.

Celestia returned it.

"You have until I return," Celestia said, "And should you choose to ignore my warning... Then heaven help you."

"This is it…" The Doctor whispered.

Celestia turned, and walked from the throne room, filled with quiet rage… She hoped that Luna would stop, but if she wouldn't, then it would be bad. It would be the worst thing she would ever have to do. She would have to publically shame her sister, which would probably end with her dethroning. This was the worst case scenario indeed.

/

**2 Hours Later**

/

Celestia walked across her room, to a chest that sat underneath her window. Opening it, she levitated the necklace from the box, and placed it around her neck.

A crowd had already formed outside the castle… The shouting of several ponies could be heard from her window. Celestia worried deeply for her subjects. They depended on her and her sister, and that trust had been betrayed.

Over the past few hours, Celestia had come to a horrible realization.

Her loyalty no longer belonged to her sister.

As soon as she accepted her role as the Princess of Equestria, she had to start putting everypony else before herself, and Luna.

She was going to have to make sure that whatever happened today, was going to be for the benefit of Equestria, no matter what that was.

The crowd had started chanting something she couldn't understand… But it was getting louder, obviously signifying the need for the sun to rise.

Sighing, Celestia walked out her door, and headed back toward the throne room. The normally short walk, however, felt like it had been extended by a massive amount. At the same time, Celestia wanted the walk to never stop. Because as soon as it did, she was going to have to do something that she really didn't want to do…

"Princess," The captain of the guard said to her as she exited the room, "Are you sure that you need no assistance?"

"I'm sure," Celestia said grimly, "This is my battle."

He nodded simply as Celestia approached the massive doors. Raising a hoof, Celestia pushed it open, revealing her sister sitting on the throne surrounded by a shroud of darkness.

"Luna…" Celestia said, as she walked toward her sister, "Do you hear everypony outside?"

Luna didn't respond.

"They don't want this, sister!" Celestia continued, "So, move the moon, and allow the sun to rise."

"Never." Luna said.

"You don't want me to do this!" Celestia shouted.

"Do it," Luna laughed, "Show me the kind of Princess that you are!"

Closing her eyes, Celestia's element started glowing, as she started focusing its energy into her horn.

"Yes… Let's do it!" Luna said, Pointing her horn in the air, a dark cloud started pouring out the tip, shrouding completely inside it.

Celestia watched, ready to act at a moment's notice.

The dark cloud hung around her for a few moments, before it started to dissipate.

Immediately, Celestia saw a difference in her sister.

Her colors had been swapped.

The black that had normally been on her flank, had now changed to her old purple color, and the rest of her coat had changed to jet black.

Small metal plates had appeared all over her body, but they weren't quite… right. Small bolts of energy bounced around, and between them, as a haze surrounded her entire body. Her head had also been covered by a smooth helmet that covered all but her eyes, nose, mouth, and horn.

Her Cutie Mark also glowed an eerie white color, that was distorted by the aura surrounding her.

"Luna…" Celestia said in awe, "What have you done to yourself?"

"I have shown you my TRUE form!" Luna laughed, "This is how I will look, while I rule Equestria!"

"W-what?" Celestia stammered, shocked that her goal was to now conquer Equestria, "You plan to take over control?"

"You were right to give me so much time to think about what to do…" Luna said. "You gave me time to realize that I wanted more than just a few more hours of night… I wanted it to be night all the time! And, since it would always be dark, then there would be no need for a Princess of the sun!"

Celestia was so tired of repeating the same pleas, and begging her sister to stop at every turn.

"Luna, why—"

"And that's another thing!" Luna cut off, "You will stop calling me 'Luna.'"

Celestia was stunned.

"From now on, you will refer to me as… Night Mare Moon!" Luna laughed, as dark energy swirled around her.

"Night Mare Moon…?" Celestia asked, "I will call you no such thing!"

Night Mare frowned, "Well, if you won't do it for me… perhaps you will do it for this!"

Luna suddenly shot a bolt of energy at her sister, impacting her on the shoulder.

Celestia collapsed, wincing in pain.

Luna had just attacked her, without any hesitation. This was far worse than Celestia could have ever imagined.

"Do you concede, Sister?" Night Mare asked, "If you surrender now, I will allow you to live with me in the castle… Perhaps as a pet."

Celestia slowly stood upright, as her Element sent some magic to her wound, easing the pain.

"Luna," Celestia said, now in 'defend Equestria' mode, "I will not allow you to hold control over Equestria. Not now, not ever!"

Night Mare laughed and fired another bolt of energy at Celestia.

This time, however, it was simply absorbed by some kind of barrier around Celestia.

Celestia instantly shot a blast back, hitting Night Mare straight in the chest, sending her into the throne behind her, destroying it.

Night Mare stood up, smirking weakly to hide her pain from the attack.

"Look at what you've become," Night Mare laughed, "Attacking your own sister?"

"I'm sorry Luna…" Celestia said, charging another beam, "I'm so… So sorry."

Firing another blast, Night Mare was sent backward again.

"You act like this battle is one sided!" Night Mare laughed, trying to attack Celestia again. However, the magic was simply absorbed.

"What is happening?!" She growled trying again and again to hurt Celestia.

Celestia had no idea herself. If they were both wearing the same necklace, why was hers affecting her sister, but her sister had no effect on her?

Quickly casting a new spell, Luna's entire body was surrounded in a dark, starry fog that was rather similar to mane.

At first, Celestia wasn't sure what she was doing. However, when the fog started to clear, Luna was no longer inside.

"Meet me where our reign started." Night Mare's voice said from the smoke.

With that, she flew upward, and broke a hole in the ceiling, and escaped into the night.

Celestia immediately felt all of her rage melt away as the gravity of her situation sunk in. Her sister was much further gone.

Celestia made no effort to stop the tears that now ran down her cheeks.

Luna didn't seem capable of hurting Celestia with her magic, but, she was sure that Luna would be figuring that out right now. So, she was going to have to brush up her own powers, and make sure that she was ready. She would win this for her subjects, no matter the price.

/

"Poor Celestia," Dash said, as the Princess exited the room, "I can't believe how fast Luna became this… Monster."

"It wasn't fast," The Doctor corrected, "It's been years since we saw them the first time."

"I guess so," Dash sighed, "But that doesn't change how hard this must be."

Alex nodded.

Derpy's eyes were filled with tears, and her mouth was full of muffin. It was a strange experience for her, to feel sadness and joy at the same time.

The Doctor was frustrated, time was almost up, and they hadn't seen what they had come here to see. Something radically different must have happened in this battle, if Alex were to become associated with selflessness here.

"So…" Alex said, "Is our next stop the final battle?"

The Doctor nodded.

"Well then, we should probably save our game, am I right!?" Alex laughed inappropriately, before nervously stopping when he realized he was the only one laughing, "…I guess that joke is lost on you guys…"

"I guess it is…" Dash said awkwardly.

"Right, well!" The Doctor said, "One more stop, and hopefully we'll be done!"

/

The darkness of the night was somewhat unsettling for Celestia. Her instincts told her that it should be day time right now, but the fact that it wasn't was throwing her off a tiny bit.

Night Mare, however, was in her element. It was dark; the moon lit the battlefield around them, illuminating the ground enough for everything to be visible.

"Why do you insist on fighting here?" Celestia asked, looking around to the large chunks of rock embedded in the ground from their battle with Discord so many years ago.

"This is the place where one ruler was lost, and two rulers were made," Night Mare explained, "I have decided that It will serve the same role once again."

Celestia was silent.

"So, Sister, are you ready?" Luna asked.

Celestia nodded, knowing that no argument would stop her.

"Good!"

Celestia was immediately encased in a bubble, locking her in place.

Once she realized that she wasn't going anywhere, she erected another shield around both herself and the bubble, countering its effect, making it fade away, leaving only her barrier.

"Luna," Celestia said, confident in her safety "You won't be able to breach this spell, and you know it."

A few hours ago, Luna would have agreed with her. Her magic hadn't been able to hurt her sister when she was protected, however, she had been pooling energy from her Element for the past few hours, and had made herself quite the reserve to lay on thick with.

Pouring a massive amount of magic into her horn, Luna blasted a huge beam into her sister, making her shield buckle, as it cracked around the epicenter.

"Yes!" Night Mare shouted maniacally, "I can break your magic!"

Before Celestia had a chance to react, the shield shattered, allowing the beam of energy to impact her, and send her tumbling into a large rock behind her.

As soon as Night Mare saw Celestia slam into the rock, she momentarily lost focus, as a pang of guilt hit her. The beam weakened in response.

However, she quickly squashed it, and put her energy into the beam again.

Although Night Mare didn't know it, Celestia was being protected by her Element. It wasn't stopping all of the damage from reaching her, but it was keeping her from receiving anything severe.

Night Mare continued until she was satisfied with the amount of time she had put into the spell. She was sure that Celestia was defeated, if not close to death.

Stopping her barrage, she watched as Celestia collapsed on the ground.

"So, Sister?" Night Mare said cockily, "Do you concede?"

Celestia shocked Night Mare as she easily stood up.

"What?!" Night Mare shouted, "How did you—"

Celestia immediately stomped on the ground, pushing her power into it, making the ground crack, and explode upward into Night Mare.

She was thrown from where she stood, into a patch of grass behind her.

Lifting herself up, she smiled.

"You're good…"Night Mare laughed, standing up, "I thought you were down for the count!"

"Not yet," Celestia said angrily, stomping the ground again.

Night Mare dodged the attack easily this time.

"I hope you have more than that!" She laughed, as her horn started to glow.

Celestia looked up, as the sky was quickly filled with thousands of dark clouds. An eerie silence filled the air, until the night sky was completely blacked out, leaving the two in complete darkness.

The area suddenly lit up as a red bolt of lightning hit the ground in front of Celestia. The battlefield returned to blackness, until another bolt landed just to her right.

Getting the idea, Celestia started running, not sure if a shield would protect her from this lightning.

She tried her best to avoid the oncoming bolts of electricity. However, since she had no real way of determining where lightning would strike next, she simply ran in erratic pattern, until she came up with a good plan of retaliation.

Scanning the area for her sister, she found it almost impossible to find her in the half-second bolts of light that the lightning was providing.

But, something caught her eye. Night Mare's mane was glowing!

Turning toward her sister, Celestia started running straight for her. And, since she had been so busy keeping this spell going, Night Mare wasn't able to stop Celestia from colliding with her.

The two hit the ground as the next bolt of magic struck Celestia in the back, sending the electricity through her, into Night Mare Moon.

They both involuntarily shook as the electricity coursed through their bodies.

Neither was sure how long they had lay there together, and at this moment, they didn't care how long that was. They were both in the most pain they had experienced.

Finally, Celestia pushed herself off of her sister, and staggered back, trying her best not to collapse.

Night Mare tried her best to stand, having just as much trouble as Celestia.

"Let-Let's end this here," Celestia panted, "This is madness…"

"Never…" Night Mare said, without much power behind her speech.

"I do not wish to experience that ever again…"Celestia said weakly, hoping that her little sister would at least agree with her on that.

"Oh?" Night Mare smirked, commanding the clouds once more.

Immediately, Celestia was struck again sending her on to the ground, convulsing as her already weakened body responded to the electricity.

"It looks like we're just about done… here!" Night Mare panted, sending yet another bolt into her sister.

Celestia seized as the bolt made contact with her, and collapsed motionless after it vanished.

Night Mare laughed weakly as she observed the unmoving form of her sister, "You never were stronger than me, little Sister!"

Celestia barely heard what Night Mare had said. Her head was buzzing too much to understand much. After a moment of searing pain in her side, she felt her Element respond, and start to spread a light energy over her body, healing her wounds.

After a few seconds of silence, Celestia felt enough strength to stand herself up come to her. So, she did exactly that, receiving a shocked expression from Night Mare.

She was back to where she had been a few minutes ago, except that she was much, much angrier this time.

"What?! How did you—"

Before Night Mare could finish, Celestia fired a small spark toward her that exploded just before it hit her face, making her collapse, clutching her burned left eye.

Celestia started sending more power toward her horn, readying another attack.

"You… M-My face!" Night Mare shouted, as she struggled to stand back up, the pain absolutely excruciating, "H-How could you do this to me…?"

Celestia immediately felt her anger melt away, being replaced by regret.

Night Mare looked at the ground, whining quietly in pain. This attack was so much worse than the lightning bolt had been. However, to her surprise, the pain slowly started to melt away, as Celestia cast a healing spell on her.

Night Mare looked up in surprise, and saw Celestia standing in front of her, with a genuinely concerned expression.

"Why have you done this?" Night Mare asked quietly, "You're wasting your power on this!"

"I don't care, Luna," Celestia smiled sadly, "I'm so sorry that I hurt you."

Night Mare wasn't sure what to do now…

Unfortunately, as soon as the indecision popped up, her element started flowing more power into her, making that indecision quickly fade.

"Well, your loss!" Night Mare laughed, raising a hoof, and slapping Celestia across the face.

There was silence. Nothing but agonizing silence, as Night Mare once again felt indecision.

A tear rolled down Celestia's cheek, and into the ground below her.

"Luna…" Celestia said quietly, "I'm sorry that it had to end this way…"

Night Mare simply listened.

"I… I wish that I didn't have to lose my sister…" Celestia managed, "I wish that I didn't have to lose my best friend…"

Her heart wrenched as she listened to her sister.

"You've always been there for me, and… I wish that I had been there for you," Celestia said, making no effort to stop herself from crying, "It's my fault that you've become what you are…"

"N-No…" Night Mare said quietly, as her Element tried to further twist her thoughts.

"You have always been my anchor, Luna… You've saved me more times than I can count!" Celestia said, "So now, It's my turn to save you!"

Casting a levitation spell, Celestia took hold of Night Mare's element, and swiftly pulled it off her head, making her collapse on the ground, and transform back into her normal form.

The Element immediately responded by surrounding itself with a ball of darkness, and making the wind around them start to rip, and howl, as it raised itself high in the air, in an effort to break Celestia's hold on it.

"This is the source of your evil!" Celestia shouted over the deafening wind, "I will make sure it never does this again!"

The Element itself, however, had much more power that Celestia could have anticipated, as it started pulling the magic out of Celestia's horn, and taking it into its mass.

"Celestia!" Luna shouted, feeling her madness leave her, "Y-you have to stop it!"

"Luna!" Celestia shouted back happily, "You're ba—!"

The Element suddenly released a pulse, sending both of them flying backward, away from it.

"You can't let it exist anymore!" Luna shouted, standing up, "It needs to be destroyed!"

Celestia pointed her horn toward the black ball, and fired a beam of magic that was simply absorbed by the Element.

"W-what?" Celestia said desperately, looking toward her sister, as she often had in the past, "Luna, I don't know how to stop it!"

"When it's on my neck… it loses some power to me!" Luna said, "I… I have to put it back on! And when I do, make sure that you send us as far away as you can!"

"Absolutely not!" Celestia shouted, "We can stop it!"

As if it had been on cue, the ground underneath the Element cracked, and started floating up in pieces around it.

"No, we can't!" Luna said back, "It'll rejoin with me once it beats you anyway!"

Celestia wanted to argue that she could stop it, but it was sapping her strength away. She had no means of stopping it at this rate.

"I'm sorry, Celestia!" Luna shouted, as she positioned herself underneath the necklace.

"No!" Celestia shouted, as she watched her sister flap her wings powerfully, and propel herself into the dark ball, putting the necklace back on.

The dark ball instantly vanished, as the wind calmed down, and Luna was dumped on the ground, returned to her 'Night Mare Moon' form.

"N-Now!" Luna shouted, "You have to S-stop me now!"

Celestia's cheeks were so dampened from her tears that they were starting to roll down her neck instead of falling off her cheek.

"I-I… I just—"

"Please Sister…" Luna begged, "For our subjects!"

Their subjects… The ponies they had both promised to protect.

Celestia knew that she would have given her life for them, and Luna was doing the exact same thing.

Celestia looked up to her sister, and gave a single, determined nod.

"I'll take care of them!" Celestia said, "And you will too, when you get back!"

Luna nodded, smiling weakly, her control over herself slipping away.

Celestia felt her Element start to fill her up in a way it never had before, as if it knew what she needed. It was channeling all of its energy into her. It started to get hotter, and hotter, until the purple gem in the middle cracked.

Celestia now held all of its power within her

"Hurry!" Luna shouted, "My Element is doing something!"

The black gem in Luna's necklace also cracked, just as Celestia's did.

"It's going to try to attack you f-first!" Luna shouted, "Do it n-now… Before I lose control!"

Celestia closed her eyes, and took a moment to enjoy the last seconds she would spend with her sister, for a very long time.

"I love you, Luna." Celestia said, as the wind around them started to pick up again, as it had just been.

"I love you too, Celestia!" Luna shouted over the screeching noises the wind was now making.

Celestia felt her energy center in the necklace finally drain.

And with one small push, it all exploded out in mass of waves and ripples, completely engulfing Luna within them.

"N-No!" Night Mare shouted, having gained control once again, "This can't be happening! I won't be stopped like this!"

Celestia watched in silence as her sister was lifted up off the ground, and started to glow bright white.

The necklace around Night Mare's neck exploded, as it was surrounded by the magic sent from Celestia.

The pieces were sent flying in all directions, rendering the Element completely harmless.

"I will be back!" Night Mare shouted, "The element has put its power into me! Your sister is gone! She is chaos now!"

"You have one thousand years," Celestia said grimly, "I hope you're a new pony then…"

Night Mare's arguments, and shouting could barely be heard as the whirlwind of magic started to swirl faster and faster around her, until all that could be seen was a white ball in the sky.

The spell finished off, by exploding, and clearing the sky of all dark clouds left by Night Mare, giving a perfect view of the moon.

Celestia watched as a few new craters on the face of the moon appeared, creating the shape of her sister's head.

Suddenly the gem in Celestia's necklace fell apart, landing on the ground. However, it went by almost unnoticed by her. She really couldn't care less what happened to her element. She had just lost something so much more important to her.

"Goodnight, Luna." Celestia said quietly, "I will see you soon…"

/-/

A silence passed among the four ponies, as three of them watched Celestia stare at the moon, motionlessly.

"Uh… Ouch," Alex said, a bit preoccupied.

Dash looked at him, and went wide eyed.

"Alex!" She said, turning to him, "What happened?"

A gash had appeared across his right cheek, and blood ran down the side of his face.

"I think a… a piece of her necklace exploded on me…" Alex said, moving his tongue around in his mouth, "Hit me right in the… cheek."

"What's in your mouth?" Dash said, before watching Alex spit a bloody piece of gem out of his mouth, on to the ground.

"Well... I guess I should have seen THAT coming." The Doctor said, now seeing how Alex and the element had been associated.

"Why is it glowing?" Derpy asked, looking at the fragment on the ground.

"He's full of chaotic energy, I think," The Doctor said, "He just fed it, and gave it strength."

"Does that mean he'll change like Luna, though?" Dash asked.

"Nope," The Doctor said, "Alex is half harmonious magic, so, it got some of that too."

"Basically, this is how he becomes… himself, a thousand years from now." Dash said.

"Exactly," The Doctor smiled, "But… How did the gem end up with Celestia again?"

*Achoo*

The four watched as Dash's sneeze blew the shard away from them, sending it into the pile of gems below Celestia, something that she didn't even notice.

"Oh."

"Sorry," Dash apologized, "I haven't sneezed this much in a while…"

"Actually, that's what needed to happen…" The Doctor said, scratching the back of his head, "Well, a sneeze can change the future, I suppose."

The four looked back to Celestia hearing her collapse on the ground, broken into tears.

The silence among them was deafening, as they simply listened to Celestia weep.

"I wish I could talk to her," Dash spoke up, "But that's not allowed, huh?"

The Doctor shook his head.

"C-can we go home?" Derpy asked.

Everypony seemed to agree on this, and all filed back into the TARDIS.

/-/

Celestia sat in silence inside her sister's room. As heart wrenching as being there was for her, just the fact that Luna had lived her for so long gave her a small kind of comfort.

She had raised the sun instantly after the battle, and given a small speech to the ponies, explaining what had happened. Of course, she had lied about half of it, but didn't really care. In response, the ponies had decided to throw some kind of celebration… It wasn't one that Celestia had any intention of joining them on.

Looking across the room, Celestia smiled weakly. Of course, her Luna's room was immaculate. Nothing out of place, just as she had always kept it…

Celestia herself had had a small problem with keeping her room clean. The castle staff would often insist on cleaning it for her, but at that point in her life, she was still new to being a princess, and wanted as little as possible from the ponies here. But, Luna had helped her get over that…

Sighing, she levitated the remains of Luna's Element off the bed next to her, and softly placed it in the box she had always kept it, and closed the lid.

As for her own Element, she had taken all the broken pieces of both hers, and Luna's element, and placed them in a safe place, in two separate piles.

Her pile of shards had been all of the pieces that were in front of her after it shattered. They consisted of different colors. Two were purple, one was yellow, one was blue, one was green, and the final two red. Of course, one of the red ones had actually been clear. But it had gotten a coat of blood on it.

Luna's had a bit difficult to hunt down, and Celestia was sure that she didn't find them all. But, that didn't matter. The power had been drained from them, rendering them harmless.

At this point, she wasn't sure why the necklace had changed Luna so much, but figured that it had something to do with their colors.

Still, it was a problem that she was going to solve another day. Celestia couldn't dwell on too much right now, she would break down completely if she did that.

Looking around the room, she saw a book resting on the night stand. Levitating it up, she placed it back in its place on Luna's bookshelf.

Celestia stood up, and slowly looked through some books on a shelf next to the bed.

Several fantasy books lined the shelves. They were Luna's favorite genera. Celestia had always been more of a serious writing pony…

Looking on the top shelf, she saw a line of Journals.

Celestia had often seen Luna writing in these as the years passed.

On the end, was a tattered, purple book with a red strap that was used as the bookmark.

This was the Diary she had had during their quest to defeat Discord. She would write in it every night… Even when there was nothing to report, she would write about something funny that had happened, or what she was going to do when Equestria was free.

Looking down the line of books, Celestia noticed that they had all been marked with years on the spines.

Scanning across them, she counted upward through them, until she reached the final diary, sitting at the end of the shelf. The year written on the spine was a well-known one to Celestia. It was the year that Sombra took over the Crystal Kingdom.

Levitating the book off the shelf, Celestia brought it closer to her, before a letter dropped out of the book, and landed on the floor.

Looking down to it, she was surprised to see it was addressed to her.

"Dear Celestia…?" Celestia read aloud, "Did Luna write this?"

The letter was old… It hadn't been touched since the Crystal Kingdom obviously.

Lifting the flap at the back, Celestia levitated the paper out from the inside, and read through the letter Luna had written to her.

/~~~~~~~~~~~~/

'_Dear Sister, _

_If you're reading this, then I haven't returned from my diplomatic mission to the Crystal Kingdom. I'm sure that you're very confused at this point, and I hope to clarify as much as possible with this letter._

_Do you remember how my decision to leave on this trip was so sudden? I had claimed it to be some form of romantic trip for Bolt and myself? I'm sorry to say, that there was something I kept from you, and I sincerely apologize for doing so._

_Celestia, before I left, I discovered that I was carrying a child. Bolt's child._

_Upon discovering this, I decided that I needed to be away from Canterlot. I knew that a pregnant princess wouldn't have been the best thing for everypony in Canterlot to see. I will feign illness when I reach the Crystal Kingdom, and have this child as quietly as possible._

_Now, you might be asking why I chose to disappear, instead of return home. And, I suppose, that the best answer would be: so I can care for my child. _

_I wish to look after it, and give it the attention that a princess never could. This child has been my deepest desire for longer than I can recall, and now that it's happening, I'm happier than I have ever been._

_Although I am immortal, and will outlive my child, and its children, I need to be here for it. _

_I cannot apologize more for what I have done to you, leaving you to rule alone. It is the worst betrayal that anypony could ever suffer. _

_However, please remember._

_While I may have left you, I have no intention of forgetting you. You have been the single most important pony in my life, and I truly love you, Celestia. _

_Nothing could ever change that, no matter what choices I have made with my life. _

_And I promise, we will see each other again, perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but I will return. _

_Luna_

/~~~~~~~~~~~~/

Celestia swallowed hard, now she understood. Everything fit together now. Luna, Bolt, the foal Sombra had mentioned killing…

Closing her eyes, Celestia finally knew just what Luna had lost. What had driven her to what she did to Sombra, and perhaps even why she had started wearing her Element regularly.

"I love you too, Luna." Celestia said, taking a final look at the letter, as she put it back in the envelope, and placed it in the book.

Knowing that it would be inappropriate for her to be seen crying by her subjects, or guards, Celestia closed the door, and locked it.

She would stay here until she stopped.

She never truly did, however… Not until this day, one thousand years later.

/-/

The four stood in the TARDIS in silence.

Sure, they had found out what they wanted… But it had been emotionally taxing.

They had seen enough death, loss, and despair, that they weren't sure that they were ever going to smile again.

"I know we said we were going home… but would you all mind making one stop first?" The Doctor spoke up.

"Is it a depressing stop?" Dash asked.

He shook his head.

"Sure," Alex said, wiping some red spit from his face to his leg, "I need a smile."

"Can't you heal that?" Dash asked.

"A little bit," Alex shrugged, "I think Dax used most the healing on that foal."

"Is that where we're going?!" Derpy asked suddenly.

The other two looked to The Doctor.

He nodded, and smiled.

"We should go find out what happened to her," He smiled, "Maybe you'll know one of her decedents!"

The four were in slightly higher spirits as The Doctor fiddled with the control panel, setting their destination.

"She was sent to Cloudsdale after the soldier found her," The Doctor explained, "So, let's jump ahead say… Five years? See what kind of a filly she was!"

/-/

**5 Years Later**

/-/

"Stop this!" A young mare said to a small, dark blue filly, "Get down from there!"

The young girl had flown herself to the top of a bookshelf and giggled uncontrollably, as her caretaker tried to get her down from when she was perched.

The mare wasn't very old, but she certainly could have a stern look to her. She loved looking after the orphans here, but none of them had given her as much trouble as this particular filly.

"Don't make me have to come up there! I'm going to count to three!" She warned, flapping her wings, "One… Two… Three!"

"Aww!" The girl squeaked, as the mare lifted her up and brought her back to the floor, "No fair!"

"Now, listen to me, missy!" She said sternly, "Learning to fly is exciting, but you need to control yourself!"

"But… I just wanna fly everywhere!" The girl beamed, her voice squeaking.

"I know you do, but its bed time!" The mare said, "I'll take you all over Cloudsdale tomorrow, with all the other kids, alright?"

"Okay!" She smiled, flying a few laps around the mare, "I'll go to bed right now then!"

With that, she scurried off toward the room she shared with a few other fillies, wanting to get to tomorrow as quickly as possible.

She smiled, the girl had so much energy. More than any child in the orphanage, and she adored it.

"Sleep tight, Dasher!" She called down the hall after her.

/-/

"That's so cute…" Dash said, as the filly galloped past them, in their invisible hiding spot, "I can see why they named her Dasher."

"I'm surprised she's so happy," Alex said, "I guess she wouldn't remember the Crystal Kingdom though, huh?"

"Thank goodness she can't," The Doctor said, "She wouldn't be a happy filly otherwise."

"What happens to her?" Alex asked, "Does she get adopted?"

"I think she does," The Doctor said, "By the mare that was just dealing with her."

"That's good," Dash smiled, "I hope that she had a good life…"

"What about her own children?" Alex asked, "Are we going to go to every stop, and see all of the ponies that are born because of her?"

"I've got the TARDIS working it out as we speak," The Doctor said, "She'll have the answer for us as soon as—"

*Ding*

"Ah!" He said, "That would be it!"

The four went back inside, and looked to a screen attached to the main control panel, that was showing static.

The Doctor pressed a few buttons, as an image became slowly came into view.

It was the foal!

"Now, it's going to show her entire family on here," The Doctor said, "So the picture will probably get rather big."

They all nodded, as it showed the progression of the filly.

First, it was just her, and it seemed like nothing was happening. However, she was actually rapidly aging.

"Wow," Dash said, "Look at her grow!"

Eventually, her Cutie Mark appeared, a single star on a purple patch on her flank. Next, she hit maturity, and quickly became a spitting image of Luna before her transformation into a princess.

Next, another foal appeared next to her, as it started aging as well.

"Is that her own foal?" Derpy asked.

The Doctor nodded.

That child grew on screen faster than Luna's child had, quickly reaching maturity, and then turning grey, as its mother had a few seconds before, but, not before two more children appeared.

This time, two new foals appeared, and started aging themselves.

"Why are their pictures turning grey?" Alex asked.

"It means that they died," The Doctor said somewhat grimly, "But, everypony does that, right?"

They all nodded.

Eventually, the screen started to fill with the relatives of Princess Luna, as it showed the hundreds of ponies that had been born from her single child.

"Wow…" Dash said as it became harder and harder to keep track of the ponies appearing.

However, somewhat confusingly, the number of ponies having children started to slow down, as less and less foals were appearing on the screen, leading to less and less being born.

"What's going on?" Dash asked, as the number of newborns started to dwindle.

"That's odd." The Doctor said quietly, as fewer and fewer of Luna's descendants were shown having children, "I guess it's not impossible that they stopped having children."

Finally, after forty or fifty generations passed by on the screen, with less and less foals being born. It finally came to a stop, showing one pony behind the final foal. And that pony greyed out as soon as the foal appeared.

And, after a few seconds, the foal grew into a filly, and then stopped.

There was only one living descendant left at this point.

And they all knew who it was.

/-/

**1000 Years Later**

/-/

Luna lay on the ground, a fraction of the size she had just been, after having been defeated by The Elements of Harmony. Still in shock, she simply looked around the room, wide eyed.

Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity all stood, watching the event in front of them, while Alex was passed out behind them.

"Princess Luna…" Celestia said, walking toward the pony on the floor, "It's been a thousand years since I've seen you like this, sister."

Luna looked at her sister, still dazed from the entire experience. Her mind was still coming back from Night Mare Moon.

"It's time we put our differences behind us," Celestia smiled, "We are meant to rule together, little sister."

Celestia hadn't exactly been honest with the public when she told them of Luna's betrayal. She had made sure the story told was one excluding the use of her Element, and the dark entity that had forced itself into Luna's mind. When Royalty is corrupted by external influences, it makes them look weak. So, she told them a different story.

Simply, Luna had become obsessed with the night, which led her astray. That was all.

Luna smiled.

"Will you accept my friendship?" Celestia asked.

"Oh… I'm so sorry!" Luna said, standing up, and hugging Celestia, "I've missed you so much Celestia!"

The two were now in tears, as they simply enjoyed the others presence.

"I'm so sorry…" Celestia whispered to Luna, "I wish things could have ended differently."

"It wasn't your fault," Luna whispered, "It was mine…"

"I know about your child, Luna," Celestia said quietly to her, "And I'm so, so sorry that you lost it… So don't blame yourself anything."

Luna nodded, and closed her eyes.

"Let's go home, sister." Celestia said, pulling away, beaming, "We have so much to catch up on!"

/-/

Dash smiled, crying a bit herself.

"I'm so happy that we got to see this again," Dash said, "I had no idea what I was watching last time…"

"I was out cold," Alex said, rubbing his cheek lightly, "So it's nice to see it at all."

"Of course, you all know what happens next," The Doctor said, "So, why don't we head back?"

"Just one more second," Derpy said, watching the two reunited sisters.

"Those thousand years must have been impossible for her…" Dash said.

"I guess I can see why they're a bit silly now," Alex smiled, "I know I would be if I lost somepony so close for that long."

"Come on," The Doctor said softly, "I think it's time that we deliver our news to Luna."

/

Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Spike, and Fluttershy all stood in Froggy Bottom Bog, looking up to the massive, four headed beast.

"Is that a Hydria?!" Pinkie shouted, looking at the monstrosity above them, frozen in place.

"Who cares?" Twilight shouted, as everypony, save Pinkie, ran away.

Pinkie, stood, frozen in place, underneath the monster.

"Pinkie!" Twilight shouted, running back to her scared friend, "Come on!"

Grabbing her tail in her mouth, Twilight pulled hard, Dragging Pinkie through the mud on the ground, away from the Hydra, as it started chasing after them, full speed.

Fluttershy ran alongside a green frog that was also trying to make it away from the monster. She deeply regretted bringing them here now.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She said to the frog, as it hopped ahead, making it to a crack underneath a large rock.

"Everypony up that hill!" Twilight shouted, as they exited the mud, and headed up, and away from the Hydra.

"Aw, dang it!" Applejack shouted, feeling her hind leg sink into a deep patch in the mud, just before the hill.

"I've got you!" Spike said, running in from behind her, and scooping her up, on to his back.

As soon as they were a few steps ahead, he let her down, allowing her to start moving on her own once again.

"Thank ya' kindly, Spike!" Applejack called, as they ran.

"I think we're gonna make it!" Twilight said, looking back at the Hydra, and seeing it slowly making its way through the mud, clearly having reached a tough spot for it.

"But Pinkie is still shuddering!" Spike shouted, looking at the vibrating pony in front of him.

Suddenly, she stopped her vibrations, and stood still.

"Oh, lookie there! It stopped!" Pinkie said happily, before immediately resuming her violent shaking.

"Oops! ThErE It GoEs AgAiN!" Pinkie said, slowly vibrating her way up the hill once again.

Seeing her dramatic speed decrease, Spike ran up to Pinkie, and pressed his head to her rump, and started pushing her forward a bit faster.

Eventually, they came to a large gap in ground, with a few tall stones, allowing passage across, if they were to jump.

"Everypony jump across!" Twilight said, "One at a time!"

"No way!" Spike said, "Look, why not just… Turn him into a mouse? That would be way easier!"

"I don't know any magic to do that!" Twilight said, "Just go!"

"Well, how about a squirrel?" Spike asked.

"No!" Twilight said angrily.

"Can you turn him into a—"

"No, Spike!" Twilight said, "I can't turn him into a rodent of any kind!"

"Well… That's too bad," Spike frowned.

Fluttershy looked down, swallowed her fear, and decided to just go for it. Falling and drowning, was a much better way to go than being eaten by a Hydra.

Jumping to the first stone, she realized just how easy it was, and jumped to the next once, and the next one, until she made it across to safety.

Next, Twilight lifted Spike onto her back, and threw him on to the first pillar. Her strength truly amazed him.

"You guys get across!" Twilight said to Pinkie and Applejack, "I'll distract the Hydra!"

Applejack nodded, bit Pinkie's tail, and jumped across with her, just as Spike jumped to the next one himself.

Twilight now stood alone on this side of the gorge, facing down the Hydra that was thundering up the hill toward her.

"Ooh…" Twilight groaned, "What would a brave pony like Rainbow Dash do?"

Well… there was one thing.

"Chaaaaaaaaarge!" Twilight shouted, suddenly running directly toward the beast.

The Hydra was taken by surprise as this pony suddenly changed direction, and ran toward it.

Leaning down, it positioned one of its heads to grab her as soon as she was in reach.

Suddenly, a loud screeching sound was heard in the air above it, making the Hydra lift its heads up, and look to the source of the noise.

Twilight stopped herself, and looked into the sky, at a blue box that seemed to be appearing out of nowhere, as it careened out of control toward them.

Finally, the box was phased in, spinning rapidly, as it headed directly for her and the Hydra.

Seeing Twilight's loss of attention, the beast started moving toward her once again.

Twilight immediately noticed it, turned tail, and started running, with the Hydra behind her, and the spinning box behind them both.

Twilight quickly reached the edge of the gorge, and jumped to the first stone pillar, and then the second.

Figuring this was a safe distance, Twilight turned around, and watched the blue box behind the Hydra.

"What is that?" Pinkie shouted.

"I don't know!" Twilight shouted.

"Ah've seen that box before!" Applejack said.

The Hydra saw that Twilight was close enough to grab if it jumped. Sure, it would land in the mud below, and be seriously hurt, but it wasn't smart enough to think that far ahead.

Taking a few steps back, the beast started running for the edge, and jumped, with full intention to grab her.

"Hold it steady!" A voice shouted to Twilight's right.

Twilight didn't look at the source of the voice, she was too busy being shocked that the Hydra would risk so much, just to get her.

Then, just before the jaws made contact with her, box flew right into her, pulled her inside, and flew away from the hungry Hydra, leaving it nothing to eat, but the stone where she just stood.

Landing on the two pillars, the massive weight of the Hydra made them crack loudly, until it could no longer hold it. The beast fell until it landed in the massive mud pools below, where the falling stones fell from above pummeling its heads, until it collapsed in the mud, unconscious.

Everypony stood in shock.

"What." Applejack said.

"The." Fluttershy added.

"Buck." Pinkie and Spike said together.

/

Finally, the blue box landed, and out came Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Derpy, The Doctor, and a very bloody Alex, making everypony recoil.

"I have so many questions…" Spike said quietly.

"What happened to yer face?!" Applejack asked Alex.

"I got run through by a jewel," Alex said, "It's fine though."

Alex looked at Spike and mouthed the words 'it's not fine.'

"What are you doing here Derpy?" Fluttershy asked.

"I was watching Princess Luna!" She replied, smiling.

"Uh… Beg yer pardon?" Applejack asked.

"Yup!" She smiled, "It's really sad!"

"We'll explain later." The Doctor laughed.

"We need to see Princess Luna!" Dash said impatiently, "We have to tell her something really important!"

"W-what is up with that box?" Twilight stammered, still in shock.

"Yes, yes," The Doctor said, "It's bigger on the inside, but we need to talk to Luna!"

"W-well… She's pretty busy for the next few weeks," Twilight said breathlessly, "Celestia has her running some diplomatic missions… or something."

"Twilight," Alex said seriously, "She needs to hear this."

"Well… I guess we can talk to Celestia." Twilight said, "Maybe she can get her back here, if it's really important."

"Are we going on a train to Canterlot?" Pinkie asked excitedly.

"Psh, train?" The Doctor asked, "We're taking my ride, but… I only the four of us should be going."

"Why?" Pinkie whined, "What are you going to tell her?"

"We can't say, yet," Alex said, "You'll find out soon enough."

"Well… Okay," Twilight said, scribbling out a note on some parchment, "Spike, can you send this to the princess?"

He nodded, and shot his green fire to the parchment Twilight was levitating in front of him.

"Alright," Spike said, "She'll know you're coming."

The four looked to one another, and nodded.

"Let's finish this."

/

Alex and Dash approached Princess Celestia sitting on her throne, as she read the small piece of paper that Spike had just sent her.

Alex had made sure to clean himself up before approaching her as well. Last thing he needed was to be seen by the royal guard, covered in blood, going to visit the princess.

The Doctor and Derpy stood in the TARDIS, watching silently, and invisibly.

"Princess?" Alex asked, earning her attention.

"Oh! Alex!" Celestia laughed, "You're here… fast! Um, what happened to your cheek?"

"It's nothing," Alex laughed nervously, "It happened ages ago."

"Would it be possible for us to talk to Luna?" Alex asked her, earning a strange look.

"She's overseas right now," Celestia explained, "I'm surprised that Twilight didn't tell you that."

"She did," Alex said, "But—"

"It's really important!" Dash cut in, "She needs to hear this!"

"I'm sorry," Celestia said, still very confused, "But I'm afraid that—"

"It's about Bolt." Alex said, earning an odd look from Celestia.

"Bolt?" Celestia asked, "I don't know any 'Bolt.'"

"Maybe not now… But how about a thousand years ago?" Alex asked, shocking her.

"And… It's about their child." Dash added, a bit unsure of how she would react.

"Where did you learn of that foal?" Celestia asked seriously.

"There is something Luna needs to hear," Dash said simply, "Something that she didn't know thousand years ago."

Celestia looked back and forth between the two, before silently casting a spell, making a while ball appear above them in the room.

"Luna!" Celestia projected at the ball.

"Yes, sister!" Luna's voice was heard, "What does thou need?"

"I think you need to return home," Celestia said, "There is something important you must hear."

"I cannot leave!" Luna laughed, "This is my first diplomatic job since the Crystal Kingdom! I must ensure that there isn't a repeat performance!"

"Luna, that's what we need to talk about," Celestia said, "Alex and Rainbow Dash are here… They're talking about Bolt."

Silence.

"Alright sister," Luna finally said, her tone completely changed, "I'm on my way."

The ball disappeared, and was instantly replaced by a series of sparks, originating from seemingly nowhere. After a few seconds, a dark explosion took their place.

When the dark bubble faded, Luna was in the center, flapping her wings, lowering herself to the floor.

"What do you two know of Bolt?" Luna asked quickly, looking between them, "What is so important that I need to be here?"

Alex opened his mouth, not sure where to start.

"Princess…" Dash spoke up, "It's about your foal."

Luna went wide eyed.

"She survived."

/


	38. Fall of the night: Epilogue

/

Fall of the Night – Epilogue

/

For the people who haven't read my other story, that this one continues, Spike is a pony, and since neither, him or Alex have cutie marks, they are members of the CMC.

/

"…Are you quite sure?" Luna asked quietly.

"We're positive," Alex answered, looking to Celestia, "We worked it all out."

Luna turned from everypony, and walked out of the room. Leaving complete silence.

"Should we…?" Dash began, looking between Celestia and Alex, "You know… go get her?"

"No." Celestia said, watching the exit Luna had just taken, "I will speak to her."

Alex and Dash both nodded.

"We'll be here, let us know what's going to happen." Alex said.

Celestia nodded, and then headed after Luna. They hadn't ever truly spoken of her child. Celestia had found out about her… But hadn't pursued the topic. It would have been painful for Luna. But this new development meant that they were going to have to talk about it.

/

Luna paced around her room quietly, still reeling from this news. Her child survived, and lived on. And while she hadn't expressed it to the ponies outside, she was overjoyed.

Her baby hadn't died in the Crystal Kingdom…

Bolt had died keeping her safe…

She truly missed him.

Sighing quietly, Luna closed her eyes and smiled, fighting back the urge to cry over this. This was good news. It was the best news she had ever received. So she wasn't going to cry. She was going to smile!

Of course, tears came anyway, but it truly didn't matter. She was happy right now.

"Luna…?" Celestia asked, expecting a long, rather complicated conversation.

"Oh, sister…" Luna smiled, at Celestia "I wish for us to go right now!"

"Oh!" Celestia said in surprise, "You're sure you want to go at this moment?"

"Of course!" Luna said, wiping her cheek, "Why is this even a question?"

"Well… ten minutes ago, she was gone." Celestia said softly, "This must be huge for you."

"It is, sister." Luna said, "But I've lost enough time with my child. I don't want to waste another moment."

"Alright," Celestia said happily, "I was surprised to learn that I had met this pony already."

"Her circumstances are… unfortunate, however." Luna said, "Perhaps we can change that for her."

"Perhaps we can," Celestia smiled.

/

Luna walked slowly through the streets of Ponyville, followed by her sister, Alex, and Dash, who all kept their distance, wanting her to have this moment for herself.

"Are you two sure of this?" Celestia asked, "A singe descendent, after thousands stopped having children?"

"We can't explain it," Alex said, "Maybe she can fill us in when we get there."

"Her mother died when she was still so young," Dash said, "There's a chance that she won't know."

"Let's keep out hoofs crossed." Alex said, realizing that you couldn't really cross hooves. Luckily, nopony particularly noticed his nonsense words.

"Is this the proper location?" Luna asked the three behind her, as they approached a small building.

Alex nodded to her.

Sighing quietly, Luna turned back to the house, and stopped for a moment.

"We'll wait here," Celestia said softly, "Please take your time."

Luna nodded, and then silently walked into the building.

/

Of course, it isn't every day that a princess walks into an orphanage.

Opening the door, she was greeted with a handful of colts and fillies, immediately looking up at her with panicked, and wide eyes.

"A-aah… P-Princess!" An old mare said, quickly standing up, "It's an honor! To what do we owe your presence?"

Luna looked silently around the room, for the filly that had been described to her, ignoring the mare.

"Princess…?" The mare asked again.

"I wish to see—"

"I'll be back soon!" A filly called, running down the stairs as she placed a blue helmet on her head, "I've got a meeting I need to get to!"

"Don't you want to say hello to the Princess?" The mare asked the girl as she opened the door, and briefly looked back.

"Hi Princess Luna!" She shouted, running out and closing the door.

"Oh my…" The mare sighed, "My apologized, Princess. That one is quite… rambunctious."

"She… is a Pegasus?" Luna softly, after witnessing the girl.

"Why yes!" She answered quickly, "Little thing can't fly worth a darn though!"

/

"Is that…?" Dash asked, seeing the young girl hop on her scooter, and take off into town.

"Yes," Alex laughed, "Do you think Luna even had a chance to talk to her?"

"E-excuse me…!" A timid voice called from the front door of the orphanage.

The three looked to Luna, as she tried to get the girls attention, however, due to her volume, it was to no avail. She then looked to them, with big, sad eyes.

"Oh, Luna," Celestia giggled, "She reminds me of your friend, Fluttershy sometimes."

"Come on Luna!" Alex called, "I know where she's heading!"

"How do you know?" Dash asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Club meeting!" Alex answered, "I'm supposed to be there, actually."

"What is her destination?" Luna asked quickly, "I must know!"

"Uh… Carousel Boutique?" Alex said, thinking to himself, "Yeah! It's Sweetie Belles turn to host it."

"Host?" Dash asked, "How organized are you guys?"

"Pretty organized," Alex said simply, "Come on, I'll take us over there!"

"Why don't we fly?" Celestia asked, "It would be much faster."

"Um," Alex said, scratching his head, "About that…"

/

The four arrived outside the Carousel Boutique. Luna, Celestia, And Alex riding on Dash's back.

"There's her scooter," Alex said, hopping up and down on Dash, annoying her, "She'll be in there."

"Thank you," Luna said earnestly, as everypony started getting ready to go inside with her, "But… I wish to do this alone."

"Oh! Right!" Dash said, backing her and Alex up, followed by Celestia.

Luna turned back to the door and exhaled quietly, bracing herself for this. Something she had thought impossible for a thousand years. While she wished that this was her foal… that simply wasn't possible. Still, she had been saved by Bolt, and had gone on to live a happy life, with a husband, and children. Luna couldn't have hoped for more.

Raising a hoof to the front door, Luna hesitantly knocked on it.

"I'm terribly sorry, but we're closed!" Rarity's voice called from behind the door, before shouting at somepony inside, "Sweetie Belle! Put that down!"

Luna cocked her head, and listened.

"Spike!" Rarity said, "Don't encourage her!"

Luna knocked on the door once again.

"That might be Alex!" Spike said, "Let him in!"

Rarity sighed, and opened the door, still looking at Spike, "There, are you happy?"

Spike went wide eyed.

"What's the matter?" Rarity asked, turning to Princess Luna, "Eep—"

"Hello!" Luna bellowed, smiling awkwardly.

"P-P-P-Princess Luna!" Rarity stammered, "My dearest apologies for not letting you in! You see, I—"

"You needn't apologize," Luna smiled, "I simply wish to speak to one of the girls inside."

"Has Sweetie Belle done something?" Rarity asked, "Because I sincerely apologize! She's so young, you see! And is on this- this crazy quest to earn her cutie mark!"

"I do not wish to use the Royal voice on anypony today," Luna said happily, "I wish to talk with… Um… Scoot-ah-Loo."

"Oh, well! She's just in here." Rarity said, leading the princess into the kitchen, where the girls had decided to see if they were gourmet chefs.

"Scootaloo, dear," Rarity said, walking into the kitchen. However, instead of being greeted by her sister, and her friends, she saw an empty kitchen, "Oh my… where has she gotten to?"

"I think they went to get some apples to make some pies!" Spike said, "They wanted to leave the princess and you alone… So they went out the back door."

"But she's here to see Scootaloo!" Rarity said, "Why do they always do these things…"

"They have gone to Sweet Apple Acres then?" Luna asked, "Then I will follow them."

"I'm coming too!" Spike spoke up, "They just up and left me behind!"

"Well… I would prefer if you—"

"And I'm coming too!" Rarity said angrily, cutting Luna off, "Sweetie Belle knows that she has to tell me before she goes out!"

"Well… if you insist." Luna said in defeat.

"Perfect!" Rarity smiled, levitating a large hat on to her head, "Come, Spike."

Leaning on him, and squishing her hat against him, they walked out, leaving Luna alone in the Boutique.

Luna shook her head, and walked back out the door.

/

"Why'd y'all need so many apples?" Applejack asked, filling up a paper bag full of apples.

"Because, sis!" Apple Bloom whined, "We need to see if we're bakers!"

"Ya' know Apple Bloom…" Applejack sighed, "I don' think yer gonna have too much luck with that."

"How do you know?" Scootaloo asked, "I think we'd be great!"

"Yeah!" Sweetie squeaked.

"Well… good luck to y'all," Applejack sighed, knowing that the girls weren't going to be stopped by any words of hers.

"Thanks sis!" Apple Bloom called, biting the bag, and hanging it on Sweetie Belles horn.

"We're going to Sugar Cube Corner now!" Scootaloo called as they trotted away.

"We're going to make something delicious!" Sweetie Belle added, from behind the bag that hung from her face.

Applejack laughed as she turned back toward the barn. She needed to finish up her work, and then head in for dinner. She had almost been eaten by a hydra today. So she wanted to relax.

Hopefully Apple Bloom wouldn't be bringing anything home for dessert… But then again, maybe they'd turn out great.

/

"What do you mean, 'we just missed her'?" Alex whined, still sitting on Dash's back, "I'm sleepy!"

"Maybe you'll wake up a little if you stop riding me!" Dash groaned.

"You didn't mind last night!" Alex laughed, before silencing himself.

The entire group stared right at him and Dash, as she blushed furiously.

"I-It was a joke!" Alex stammered, "Don't give us that look!"

Silence.

"I swear!" Alex said, looking to Princess Celestia, as she laughed.

"We believe you, Alex." Celestia said, in a very unconvincing tone, "Besides, Dash seems like the type that would be doing the riding."

Everypony broke out in laughter, as Alex and Dash looked away from them, blushing deeply.

"Well, enough 'bout those two!" Applejack laughed, "The girls headed fer Sugar Cube Corner, so we should probably get goin'"

"We?" Luna asked.

"Of course!" Applejack said, "I wanna see how their pies come out!"

"I'd love to do so, as well!" Rarity spoke up, "As long as Spiky has the first bite…"

"But… You made me test Sweetie's food last time!" Spike complained, "I thought I was going to die!"

"Well, you're still alive, dear!" Rarity smiled, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!"

Spike sighed.

"Let us hurry," Luna said, "I would like to be done before nightfall."

Everypony nodded.

"We should hurry, before they move again," Celestia suggested, "I have a feeling that they don't stay in one place for too long."

"You can say that again," Alex said, recalling the several trips they had taken him on.

/

"Alright, girls!" Pinkie said, bouncing around the kitchen happily, as each of the young fillies stood at a station at the counter, "Do you want help making all these scrumptious pies?"

"No thanks!" Apple Bloom said, "We need to see if we can do this!"

"Alrighty girls!" Pinkie said, trotting out of the room, "Let me know how they turn out! I'll just be in my room with Twilight and Fluttershy!"

With that, she left the girls alone.

"So! Where should we start?" Scootaloo asked her friends, now that they were alone.

"I know!" Sweetie Belle said happily, "We need to bake the apples first!"

"Are you sure…?" Apple Bloom asked, "I don' think I've seen mah sister do it that way."

"Trust me!" Sweetie said confidently, "I'm a great cook! Just ask Rarity!"

"Okay okay!" Scootaloo said, "Let's just start already! I'll put the apples in the oven!"

/

The trip had been much longer than Luna had anticipated at first, and she grew more and more anxious as each second passed. This would have been so much easier if she had just seen her at the orphanage.

Luna looked among the now sizable group of ponies around her, and noticed Spike looking at the sky, and sniffing.

"Do you guys see that?" Spike asked, pointing to the sky ahead of them.

Everypony looked upward, and saw black smoke rising into the sky.

"Is that coming from Sugar Cube Corner?!" Dash said.

"I'll bet it's those girls!" Rarity said, as she started running for the smoking building.

"I hope it ain't on fire!" Applejack said running with Rarity, as everypony followed suit.

Outside Sugar Cube Corner, stood Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Fluttershy, and the three young fillies.

"I can't believe we listened to Sweetie Belle…" Scootaloo said sadly, knowing that they had done some pretty bad damage.

"I could have sworn that was how to make a pie…" Sweetie Belle said, feeling terrible over her choice to bake the apples.

"Applejack is gunna kill us." Apple Bloom sighed.

"The Cake's are gonna kill me!" Pinkie whined.

"That's what you get for leaving the girls alone in the kitchen!" Twilight scolded.

Fluttershy was silent throughout the endeavor.

"Girls…" Dash said, arriving next to the defeated CMC, "Did you do all this?"

They all nodded dejectedly.

"Oh no!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, looking back, "The Princesses are here!"

Celestia looked for her sister, but was surprised to see her hiding in the back of the group.

"Are you here to banish us?" Scootaloo asked, eliciting a sigh from Celestia.

"We're real sorry!" Apple Bloom immediately added.

Luna stepped forward, and passed the group of fillies.

They all looked at her, wondering what was coming next.

Leaning forward, she cast a spell, sending an orb of magic into the house, that quickly disappeared into the smoke.

Suddenly, the smoke started being pulled into the house. Every cloud of it was sucked away from the sky, and pulled back into the building.

"What is she doing?" Pinkie asked Twilight.

"I haven't seen this kind of spell before…" Twilight said, inspecting the strange effect the magic had.

After a few moments, all of the smoke had vanished into the house. Leaving the building just as it had been a few minutes ago.

"THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPAIRED." Luna shouted, making everyone recoil.

"Oh…" Luna said, suddenly very timid, "I… Any damage done by the smoke is gone."

"Thankyou-thankyou-thankyou!" Pinkie shouted suddenly, bouncing circles around Luna, "Now I won't be evicted! And won't have to live on the street! And I won't have to do icky things in the alley behind Carousel Boutique, just to make money!"

"Heavens to Betsy!" Apple Bloom said, overjoyed.

"You fixed it!" Sweetie beamed.

"Wow…" Scootaloo said breathlessly.

The three fillies all continued thanking Luna for saving the day. They were followed by Twilight and Rainbow Dash, as Luna stood in an awkward stance, wanting to speak up, but not wanting to interrupt anypony.

*Ahem*

Celestia's powerful voice immediately silenced the group, giving Luna the opportunity she needed.

"May I speak with you…?" Luna asked Scootaloo timidly.

"Uhm… Sure?" The filly answered, looking nervously back and forth between her friends.

"We should leave them alone." Celestia said, to everypony else, "Pinkie, why don't you bake us a cake inside?"

"Why do we need a cake?" Twilight asked.

"Who cares?!" Pinkie laughed, "It's cake!"

So, everypony filed into Sugar Cube corner, leaving only Luna and Scootaloo outside. The young girl was feeling quite nervous, to say the least. Being in the presence of a princess and all… Maybe she was mad at her for not being respectful, back when she left the orphanage!

"If this is about me rushing out back at the orphanage, I have a perfectly good explanation!" Scootaloo said quickly.

"No…" Luna said, realizing that she had no idea just what she was going to say to this young girl. She suddenly wished her sister was here with her. What was she even going to say to this filly?

'Congratulations! You're my great great great granddaughter!'

No… That wouldn't do. She would have to be much more delicate than that.

Perhaps…. She could—

"Uh… Princess Luna?" Scootaloo asked, seeing the Princess lost in thought.

"Oh… My apologies. Um…" Luna stumbled, trying to find the right words. However, they simply wouldn't come. And, while she tried to piece together something to say, time was quickly passing, making the situation feel worse and worse.

Finally, she came out and said something. It was just the wrong thing to say…

"Congratulations! You're my great great great granddaughter!" Luna said, feeling like a complete idiot.

"…What?"

/

"She bombed it…" Alex said, peeking his head through the curtains in the living room.

Alex wasn't the only one peeking through at this moment though. In order from the bottom, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Spike, Rarity, Alex, Twilight, Applejack, Princess Celestia, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash, all had their heads between the same curtains.

Had somepony seen them from the outside, it would have made them wonder what kind of crazy pony-totem pole was behind the curtains for them to achieve such line of heads like that. Luckily, nopony did walk by. So, there's no point in even discussing it.

"What's going on, exactly?" Twilight asked, looking down to Alex.

"Uh, well, it's a really long story." Alex said, "And I'm not totally sure that we have the time right now."

"Luna had a child that she thought died, Alex and Rainbow Dash found out she survived, and Scootaloo is the only living descendent." Celestia quickly summarized.

"What?!" Many of the ponies said together.

"I guess it's not a long story at all." Alex said, impressed with the shortened version Celestia had improvised.

"Woah nelly!" Applejack said.

"Luna had a child?" Twilight asked, "W-when did this happen?"

"Shh!" Dash said, pointing to the window, "I wanna hear!"

/

"We're… related?" Scootaloo asked in disbelief, "I… I thought I had no family!"

Luna frowned. That was a pretty sad thing to hear.

"You do," Luna said softly, suddenly feeling a bit more confident, "My sister and I are both related to you by blood."

"Does that mean that my mom was too? Or was it my dad?" Scootaloo asked, not having much in the way of memories of them. But, was still curious.

"I believe Alex said it was your mother," Luna nodded, not sure what was coming next, conversation, or behavior wise. She just hoped that she didn't get sad and cry. Because then Luna would lose her composure!

"Does that mean you're going to adopt me?" Scootaloo suddenly asked, clearly uneasy on the prospect.

"Oh… Well, would you want that?" Luna asked, realizing that she hadn't even considered something like that happening "To go to Canterlot with Celestia and myself?"

Scootaloo looked troubled. This was so much for her to hear at once.

"I'd really like to stay in Ponyville…" She finally said, hoping that this wouldn't hurt the princesses' feelings.

Luna nodded.

That was to be expected, and was perhaps for the best for both Scootaloo, and herself. She didn't have the time to care for a child full time.

Come to think of it, maybe Celestia had been right when she said that Luna should take some time to think this all over.

She was standing here with this strange little girl… and she was her grandchild?

She should have thought this over first, and made a better approach, instead of dumping this all on a child like this.

Often times when Luna was in tough situations, she would try to think about herself a thousand years ago, and what she would have done back then, as she considered herself to be much stronger back then. Unfortunately, spending a thousand years on the moon had a way of messing things up in your head a bit.

Still, she knew how to get through to this girl. That old side of her still existed enough for her to know.

"How about this…" Luna said, keeling down on her front legs, bringing herself to Scootaloo's level, "You live here, in the orphanage… But you can come to the castle, and visit with me whenever you want."

"Really?!" Scootaloo said, suddenly very happy with the outcome of this, "I'd be allowed to do that?"

"Of course," Luna said, happy to see the girl smile, "You're practically a Princess, you know!

"…I am?" Scootaloo asked in awe, her eyes expanding to twice their normal size.

"Sure you are!" Luna beamed, emulating her old, much friendlier attitude, leaving her awkwardness behind. "You can even bring your friends to the castle with you!"

"I can?!" Scootaloo asked, "You're the coolest, Luna!"

Luna wasn't able to just sit down, and declare herself this filly's mother, or anything else. So, she was going to build a friendship with this girl, and while it wouldn't be the relationship she would have had with her baby, she could still make a difference in her life, and hopefully be a role model for her.

She may have lost the chance to care for, and love her own daughter… But she had been given this chance, with a pony born of her own child.

And it made her happier than anything ever had before.

/

"Wow..." Alex and Dash said together.

"What?" Sweetie spoke up, from below them.

"Luna's acting like her old self." Alex explained, "Not like the awkward pony we all know."

"It's true," Celestia agreed, "I haven't seen Luna in this kind of mood since… since before she went to the Crystal Kingdom."

"The 'what'?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, nothing." Celestia brushed off, "Suffice to say, it was many years ago."

"I can't believe Scootaloo is related to Princess Luna!" Sweetie said again.

"Ah' know! Apple Bloom agreed, "That means she finally has somepony!"

"And that somepony is a princess!" Dash added.

"I always felt so bad for the little thing…" Fluttershy spoke up.

The group sat in a comfortable silence, and eavesdropped on Luna and Scootaloo.

However, after a few seconds of glancing around, Spike spoke up, voicing a concern he had.

"Isn't it a bit rude to be peeping?" Spike asked everypony around him.

"It's okay Spike," Celestia reassured, "I'm a Princess."

He can't argue that logic.

/

Finally, the day was over.

Luna and Scootaloo had talked about all of the things they, and the rest of the CMC were going to do, before being invited inside for cake.

It was a strange thing for the Cakes to come home to. All of Pinkies friends, their siblings, and of course, Luna and Celestia, sitting in the dining room eating cake.

And, after a few minutes breather for them, they finally accepted that they didn't need to do anything for the Princesses, besides leave them to their own devices.

The sun had finally started to set, so Luna and Celestia decided to head back, so Luna could bring up the moon, and then head back on her diplomatic mission. She also promised that as soon as she came back, she was going to give Scootaloo and her friends a tour of the castle, and even give her her own room.

Needless to say, they were excited.

Alex and Dash, on the other hand, had gone back to the library early. Today had been massively busy, and they just wanted some sleep. And spending the night together would be nice.

Outside of the Library, The Doctor and the TARDIS phased into view, and both he and Derpy stepped out of the phone box.

"Mission accomplished?" Alex asked.

"Oh yes," The Doctor agreed, smiling brightly.

"What are you gonna do now?" Dash asked, looking from him to Derpy.

"I think we're going to explore time and space a bit," The Doctor explained, "Lots of stuff I have to do again, since it's all been undone in this timeline."

"Yeah!" Derpy agreed, "We're going to help a bunch of ponies!"

"Good for you," Alex smiled, seeing just how happy Derpy's company made the Doctor.

"But who's gonna deliver the mail?" Dash teased.

"Oh right!" Derpy said, "Your mail!"

Reaching into the saddle bag she now wore, she pulled out a letter addressed to Alex.

"Who would be sending me mail?" Alex said to himself, inspecting the letter.

"Well, we'd better be off." The Doctor said, stepping into the TARDIS.

"Wait!" Derpy said suddenly, "I have one more to deliver!"

"Oh, right." The Doctor said, watching Derpy pull out the small bag, and then sighing,

"What?" Dash asked, seeing his reaction, "Who is it for?"

"It's a shampoo sample…" The Doctor said flatly, "And it's addressed to you, Derpy."

"It is?" She asked excitedly, dropping the bag as she spoke.

"Mane and Tail…" The Doctor said, inspecting the small bottle, "Not bad, I'll toss it in the bathroom."

"Don't want to waste good shampoo," Alex laughed, "But really, when is the next time we'll see you?"

"Oh, we'll be around." The Doctor said, scratching his head, "We'll come find you next time we pop in."

"Alright," Alex nodded.

"I'll see you when you get back Derpy!" Dash said, as the two entered the TARDIS once again.

Then, after a moment, the familiar groaning began, as the ship slowly started fade out of existence, until nothing was left.

Dash sighed happily, "I'm glad that's over!"

"You can say that again," Alex agreed, levitating the letter back up to his face.

"Who's it from?" Dash asked.

"It's from Ramsley!" Alex said, happy to see his name in the top corner, "Let's go grab Spike. I'm sure he'd love to hear this!"

/

And that's it! The Fall of the Night is now complete!

I hope that a bunch of you who read this first, go back and read the beginning. I always love new readers!

Anyway, as for the rest of you, I'll keep posting in a week or so.

I have big plans for Sonic Rainboom.

Also, Story is One Year Old! WOOOOOO


	39. Back to Manehattan

/

Back to Manehattan

/

Alex sat in the library with Spike and Dash as Alex finished reading the letter to the two of them.

"Best young flier competition?" Alex asked, "Sponsored by the Wonderbolts?"

"And Comet insisted on holding the event in Manehattan, instead of Cloudsdale?" Dash said, scratching her head, "I wonder why…"

"Probably so everypony can attend," Alex suggested, "Only pegasi can go to Cloudsdale events."

"So… Are you going to go?" Spike asked, "The grand prize is a whole day with the Wonderbolts!"

"I've already met the Wonderbolts, Spike," Dash laughed, "Why do I need to see them again?"

"Oh yeah," Spike sighed.

"So you don't want to go?" Alex asked.

"I don't think so," She answered, "I mean, It's nice that Comet did this so everypony can go… But I don't know if I'm past what she did to me."

Alex nodded. That was fair. She had done a lot to Dash…

"It sounds like a goodwill gesture," Twilight said from behind them, "Are you sure that you want to turn her down?"

Dash sighed and looked back and forth, everypony expected her to just say 'no,' but, she didn't.

"Well… I guess I can give it a try," Dash said, "Besides, I'd love to go back to and have a look around the city a bit better."

"Yeah!" Spike said, jumping up, "I wanna go see Ramsley!"

"Are you sure Dash…?" Alex asked.

"Sure I am!" She grinned, puffing out her chest, "I'm always up for winning a contest!"

"Great!" Twilight smiled, "I'll tell everypony that the trip is on!"

"Huh?" Dash asked, "Everypony knew about this?"

"The Princess told me about it a few days ago," Twilight admitted, "We didn't know you were involved in the contest. Still, with your experiences with Comet, I figured that we would need to check with you before we went."

"Well I'm going!" Dash announced, standing up, surprising them with her determination.

"When did he say it was?" Alex said, levitating the scroll back in front of him, "In two days?!"

"What kind of notice is that?" Spike asked, "I thought it'd in a month or something!"

"No problem," Dash laughed, "I'd be ready to do this if it were happening in an hour!"

"I guess we'd better get packing," Alex said, walking off toward his room, "When are we gonna be leaving?"

"Probably tomorrow afternoon," Twilight explained, "It's late, and you two just finished traveling through time, so why don't you go home Dash, and rest up? Pack tomorrow."

"Um…" Dash said nervously, looking between Twilight and Spike, earning a curious look from them, "I was kinda hoping I could sleep over."

"Oh!" Twilight beamed, "A slumber party? I'm going to call the rest of the girls! Great idea Dash!"

"Eh… Yeah," Dash said slowly, "Slumber Party…"

"I'll go get Applejack and Fluttershy," Twilight announced, "Spike, you go get Pinkie and Rarity."

"What?" Spike whined, "I don't wanna—"

Before he could finish, Twilight teleported him out of the library with her, leaving Alex and Dash alone in his room.

"I really didn't want there to be a slumber party," Dash sighed, lying back on Alex' bed, "I'm way too tired."

Alex nodded, and rubbed his sore cheek, "I just wanted to go to bed…"

"Let's do that then!" Dash said, quickly crawling under the covers, "Let them have their party, I just want to go to sleep."

"I like the way you think," Alex winked, lifting up the covers on the right side of the bed, and climbing under with her.

Reaching forward, Alex pulled her close to him, pressing her body against his, and pulled her head just under his chin, brushing her mane into his face.

His immediate affection took Dash by surprise, but she didn't protest. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck and sighed softly. She was going to sleep here for as long as she could.

Casting a spell, Alex extinguished the flames lighting the room, leaving them together in darkness.

"Goodnight, Alex." Dash said, kissing his neck.

"Mhmm…" Alex replied, already dozing off.

The two were out cold pretty quickly. Giving them the peace they had desired.

/

"This was a great idea, Twilight!" Pinkie said, closing the door behind her, "We'll all have a big party to celebrate us going to Manehattan again!"

"Where'd you say Rainbow was?" Applejack asked, looking around the main room.

"She's in Alex's room," Twilight pointed, "Spike, do you want to go grab them?"

"Sure Twilight!" Spike said, trotting over to the closed door, and pushing it open with his horn.

"Hey Rainb—"

Spike quickly silenced himself, after seeing them in this position.

Spike stepped out of the room, and decided to leave them alone. Unfortunately, when the girls noticed his strange reaction, they all walked over to investigate what had made him act in such a way.

"Spike, what's going—" Twilight began, before seeing the two in bed together.

"Aww…" Fluttershy whispered, "Look at how cute they are…"

Seeing the two pressed together made all of the girls smile.

"They're adorable!" Rarity squeaked.

"Look at Dashie's wing!" Pinkie pointed at Dash's twitching wing, "What's she doing?"

"Uh… Winona does that with her leg when she's dreamin' of runnin' around," Applejack offered.

"Dashie's dreaming of flying!" Pinkie giggled, "How cute!"

"Come on, everypony," Twilight said, "Let's leave them alone, they've been through a lot today."

Everypony nodded, and back away from the door, letting Spike close it.

"Back to the slumber party?" Pinkie asked.

"You bet!" Applejack smiled.

"Alright girls," Twilight said, "I have a book on slumber parties! I've never used it before… So let's give it a try!"

/

Stirring, Alex opened his eyes and inhaled slowly.

It smelled like… Shampoo.

Looking down, Alex examined the mess of colored hair pressed against his nose.

Oh right.

It was still dark. But then again, he curtains were pulled. It could be midday and he wouldn't notice. Carefully looking up, Alex checked the clock and smiled. It was still early. He could stay here for a bit. Slowly looking around he immediately noticed Dash's twitching wing.

Lifting a hoof off her hip, he slowly reached out and poked her wing.

"Mhmmph…" Dash murmured into his chest.

He poked it again.

"Nononono…" Dash murmured again.

Alex narrowed his eyes as he looked at the vibrating wing.

"If she goes any faster… She'll take off," Alex whispered to himself.

Reaching forward once again, he placed his hoof right against her wing, and pushed it back to her side, preventing it from shaking any further.

"I'm gonna fall!" Dash shouted, suddenly sitting up.

"Wh… What's happening?" Dash asked, looking around.

"You're falling, apparently," Alex laughed.

"Alex?" Dash asked, rubbing her eyes and pushing her long hair out of her face, "I… slept over?"

Alex nodded, "We're going back to Manehattan today, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" Dash said, getting up, "I need to pack!"

"Not yet!" Alex said quickly, "It's still early, let's… Well, you know…"

Alex hadn't wanted to say 'cuddle,' however, Dash took a different meaning from it.

"Right now?" Dash asked, giving him a suggestive look, "Right here?"

"Huh?" Alex asked, scratching his head, "What about right now?"

"Wait… What are you talking about?" Dash said, leaning back slightly.

"What are YOU talking about…?" Alex asked, cocking an eyebrow, seeing just what she had been getting at.

"Um… I wanted to… Cuddle?" Dash offered.

"That is also what I wanted," Alex laughed.

"Spike!" Twilight called from outside the room, "Have you seen my saddlebag?"

"I think you left it in Alex's room yesterday," Spike answered.

"Oh crap," Dash said quickly, "Pretend we're still asleep!"

Alex nodded, and quickly got back in to his former position with her, pulling the covers back over them.

"Are you sure Spike?" Twilight asked, opening the door quietly, not wanting to wake the couple, even though the blinding beams of light from the other room would have done that anyway.

"It's in the corner," Spike whispered, as the two of them gently walked past Alex and Dash.

"I don't see—"

"We're trying to sleep!" Dash shouted, sitting up.

Twilight and Spike both jumped at Dash's sudden outburst, and clung to each other, as they landed on their rumps on the floor.

Dash laughed uncontrollably as she fell back on the bed, "Y-You two s-should see- see the looks on your faces!"

Alex couldn't have done it better himself.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight scolded, "Why would you scare us like that?"

"I think the question is 'Why WOULDN'T I?'"

Twilight shook her head, and stood up, "You're too immature, Rainbow."

"Well duh!" Dash agreed, "But… Why are you up so early?"

"Early?" Twilight asked, "It's almost noon! We leave in a couple hours!"

"What?!" Alex and Dash said in unison, sitting up.

"B-but the clock says…" Alex said gesturing to the early time he had seen.

"Oh, I broke that yesterday." Twilight admitted, "Besides, I thought you had your IPod-thing."

Alex frowned.

"I guess that means we have to get up…" Dash sighed, flapping her wings, and taking off from the bed.

"If you pack quick, maybe we can sleep a bit more!" Alex called to her as she headed out.

"We'll have plenty of time to sleep together on the train!" Dash called back.

"Spike, cover your ears," Twilight instructed, not wanting him to be exposed to such casual talk about adult subjects.

"It's not like that," Alex said to her quickly, "I honestly meant SLEEP."

Spike had ignored Twilight's directive, and gave Alex a satisfied nod, and mouthed the word 'Nice' to him.

"Alright alright," Twilight said, "Pack whatever you need, our train leaves in six or so hours."

"Thanks," Alex smiled, "I'll make sure to be ready by then."

"Let's go, Spike," Twilight asked, "We have a few more things I need to buy."

As Twilight walked out, Spike lingered and gave Alex another proud look, "Good job."

"Nothing happened," Alex laughed, "Really."

"Right. Nothing 'happened.'" Spike said, making air quotations with his hooves. It looked rather odd.

"I'm serious!" Alex laughed.

"I 'Believe' you," Spike said, air quoting again.

"Spike!" Twilight called again.

"Oh, uh, Coming!" Spike said, bolting out of the room.

Alex fell back on his pillow. He could put off packing. It's not even like he needed to take a change of clothes. Just some grooming supplies, and a few other things. He could have that ready to go in fifteen minutes, tops.

/

"Alex!" Dash called, "The train is leaving soon! Why did you put off packing till so late?"

"It was Future Alex's problem a few hours ago…" Alex sighed, levitating his last few things into his back, "But now I AM Future Alex, and I think Past Alex is a Douche."

"He is," Dash agreed, "But no matter who you are, we need to be gone five minutes ago!"

"Look at the clock," Alex pointed, "We have a few minutes."

"That clock is broken!" Dash shouted, "What time does your silver thing say?"

"Uh…" Alex said, levitating his IPod up to his face, and clicking the button, "Half past…"

Before Dash had the opportunity to yell at him again, they heard the train whistle, signaling its departure from the station.

Alex laughed nervously as Dash gave him an extremely angry look.

"Look sweet cheeks," Alex said, upsetting her further, "I can deal."

Walking next to her, he wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her cheek to his.

"What are you doing?" She asked, in a relatively quiet voice, scaring Alex more than the angry tone.

"This!" Alex said, feigning confidence.

*Pop*

Suddenly Dash was surrounded in a bright light. And, as soon as it had come, it had vanished. And when the blinding light vanished, she was standing on the moving train car, with Twilight, and Alex right next to her.

"Boo-yah!" Alex cheered, hoof pumping, "Am I good, or what?"

"How did you do that?!" Twilight asked, complete flabbergasted at their sudden appearance, "Transporting on to a moving train is like: Throwing a rock… at a smaller rock while you're blindfolded… and riding another pony."

"The trick, is to think of everything else as moving, and the train car as staying still," Alex explained.

"I never thought of it that way…" Twilight said to herself, "How did you think of that?"

"A movie you probably haven't seen," Alex winked.

*Ahem*

Alex turned, and saw an impatient looking pony standing behind him.

"Were you trying to get a free ride on my train?" He asked.

"It's okay, sir," Twilight apologized, "He has his ticket, right Alex?"

"Uh…" Alex said, "I may have forgotten it back at the library…"

Dash face hoofed.

Twilight sighed.

"I'll be RIGHT back," Alex said, looking between them all.

Zapping away, Alex left them in silence.

"Twilight…" Dash said slowly, "Is he going to be able to just… transport back?"

"Probably not," Twilight laughed, "We'll see."

After another minute of silence, a loud 'thud' was heard on the roof just above them.

"Oh sweet Celestia!" A voice was heard screaming from above them, "I'm on the roof! This is horrible!"

Dash giggled, "I'll get him."

Twilight and the Conductor watched Dash walk out the back door of the cart, and take off, so she could grab him, leaving the purple unicorn in an exceedingly awkward silence.

"He's not always like this…" Twilight tried to explain, "He's actually a pretty smart, and brave pony!"

"Rainbow Dash!" The voice screamed from above them, "You've come to save me! Take me away! Don't forget, you need to carry me!"

Twilight cringed.

"Why didn't he teleport again to get inside?" The conductor finally asked, breaking the tension.

"Well… He's not THAT smart…"

/


	40. The Source of the Rainbow

/

The Source of the Rainbow

/

I decided to put this short bit in really quickly, as it really helps keep things straight for me.

I did it on a whim, so sorry about not posting it with the last chapter.

/

Besides the beginning, the train trip to Manehattan had been rather uneventful. The group had chatted, eaten dinner, and then went to sleep. Alex had been disappointed when he saw the 'bunk' style of the beds, and the lack of privacy they offered. So, he simply had to accept that he wouldn't be having any more private time with Dash for the night. He couldn't really complain, since he had had her for the past two nights all to himself.

Surprisingly, when the time came for them all to turn in for the night, he found himself having a bit of trouble sleeping. His mind kept going back to everything that happened back in the Crystal Kingdom. It made perfect sense that it would… He had seen some terrible things there. He had even watched somepony die in front of him.

He wondered if Dash was having the same problem as him. They had been so preoccupied after they got back with Luna, and whatever else, that he hadn't had time to think about it. But now that he was lying here in silence, it was starting to haunt him a bit.

Finally, Alex managed to start dozing off. But all of these sudden feelings left him worrying about how often he would be kept up by these thoughts.

Hopefully it would end soon…

Once he fell asleep, the night passed quickly. Dreaming of nothing in particular had a way of doing that.

He was woken up by the train whistling, and signaling the arrival in Manehattan.

"Come on, Alex!" Spike said, bonking him on the head, "They're gonna let us off soon!"

"Uh, yeah," Alex said, rubbing his eyes, standing up and looking around.

"Ramsley said he'd meet us at the platform," Twilight said, "And that he had some kind of surprise for us."

"A surprise?" Rarity asked, "I wonder what it could be."

"Me too!" Pinkie said, jumping up and down, "I hope it's for me!"

"Do you think he missed us?" Spike asked Alex.

Alex thought for a moment, back to all that happened last time he was in this city.

"No."

"They're lettin' everypony off!" Applejack called from the front of the car.

Everypony grabbed their appropriate luggage, and headed for the exit at the end of the car.

Alex and Dash stayed at the back of the group, and walked off together. She had been oddly quiet, and Alex had noticed.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked quietly, getting her to look up from the floor.

"Oh…" Dash said, blinking, "I just had a bit of trouble sleeping last night."

Alex simply nodded. He had a feeling why, but didn't want to bring it up here.

"Ramsley!" Spike shouted from the front of the group.

"Master Spike!" Ramsley said genuinely happy to see him, "It's good to see you again!"

"Where's my surprise?!" Spike asked suddenly, "You said there was one, right?"

"Well, it IS a surprise, but it isn't for you," Ramsley admitted, earning a sad look from Spike, "But I do have gifts back at the mansion for you."

Spike's face lit up.

"Who is the surprise for then?" Rarity asked.

"It's for your friend Rainbow Dash," Ramsley explained, "By the way… where is she? And Alex?"

"Here!" Alex called from the back, as he finally exited the train.

"Bring your friend over here," Ramsley instructed.

Alex complied, and walked with Dash over to him.

"Would you like to see your surprise?" Ramsley asked.

"You don't need to give me anything…" Dash said modestly, "You've done so much for—"

"There you are, Squirt!" A voice said from behind Ramsley.

Dash knew that voice.

"Oh sweetie, look at how big you've gotten!" Another voice said.

Two Pegasi walked past Ramsley.

It was her parents.

Her father was a darker, and slightly more purple color than Dash, with the same rainbow mane as her. The only difference being that his hair was short. He was slightly larger than Alex, and had a cutie mark of a streaking rainbow into a cloud.

Alex looked to her mother, and almost felt his jaw hit the floor.

She was absolutely stunning. She was the same size as Dash, however her coat was orange, and her hair was a combination of red and orange. It was grown out, and hung out the back down to her knees, while it swooped past her right eye in the front. Her Cutie mark was a pair of wings wrapped around a flame. It was obvious where Dash got her good looks from.

Alex wasn't sure if he should speak up, and introduce himself to them. On one hoof, he didn't want to look quiet… But on the other hoof, he didn't want to look to eager. So, he opted for the former, and waited for them to address him.

"…Mom? Dad?" Dash asked, stepping away from Alex, "W-what are you doing here?"

"Oh look, dearie," Her mother said, ignoring the question "She finally grew her hair out, like I always told her to!"

"We came to see you compete!" Her father answered, "And you should keep your hair short for racing! Don't forget that!"

Dash rolled her eyes.

Her parents both looked up from her, and properly addressed the ponies behind her.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," Her father said to the group, "My name is Flash, and this is my wife Firefly."

"Um… Hello again," Fluttershy spoke up.

"Fluttershy!" Firefly beamed, "It's so nice to see you again!"

"You too!" She replied, obviously comfortable around Dash's mother, "I'd love a chance to catch up with you."

"We'll figure something out, dear." She smiled.

"Why don't we go out for lunch?" Flash asked Rainbow, "You can meet up with your friends in a few hours."

"Uh…" Dash said, looking back to her friends, uncomfortable for a reason none of them knew.

"Come on sweet heart, let's go!" Her mother begged.

"I guess…" Dash said.

"Great!" Firefly said, getting next to her daughter, "I know just where to go!"

Dash reluctantly headed off with them, leaving all of her friends a bit confused. However, their questions were answered when her father spoke up.

"So, tell me Rainbow, have you got a coltfriend yet?" He asked, before breaking out into laughter.

"Dear," Firefly giggled, trying to sound like she was scolding him, "Don't tease her for her lifestyle!"

Alex went wide eyed.

They didn't know she was dating him.

"She can be however she wants," Her mother continued, "And we'll love her if she dates boys OR girls."

And they thought she was a lesbian.

That's why she was uncomfortable.

/


	41. A Colorful Background

/

A Colorful Background

/

After Dash departed from the group, they moved on, and went back to the Orange's mansion, where they had stayed last time. Incidentally, Mosley Orange, and his wife had been away on business once again, allowing the friends to have the house to themselves once again without anypony in charge. Well, besides Ramsley.

Rainbow Dash had been gone the entire day with her parents, leaving everypony hoping that everything was working out with them.

"Dash sure has been gone a long time." Twilight said, walking into the living room of the mansion. The sun had already started to set, and nopony had heard from her at all.

"It does seem like they had a lot to talk about," Rarity giggled, "They had a couple of preconceived notions about her…"

"That's an understatement," Alex agreed, "She probably doesn't talk to them much… I wonder why."

"Oh, that's because…" Fluttershy began, before covering her mouth, "Um… Never mind."

"Huh?" Spike asked, "What was that?"

"Oh, it was nothing," Fluttershy lied, "I don't even remember what I was going to say…"

"Come on Fluttershy!" Pinkie spoke up, "I why does she avoid her parents?"

"I'd also like to know," Twilight agreed.

"I don't want to pry," Alex began, "But I'd really like to hear this."

"Oh… I don't know—"

"Ah' come on, sugar cube!" Applejack burst, "Tell us!"

"I'm quite interested in this myself," Ramsley admitted.

"Um, Okay," She said quickly, as she had really wanted to say this anyway.

Everypony huddled closer to her, in some kind of attempt to keep others from hearing her explanation, even though they were the only ones in the mansion.

"Well… Rainbow Dash's parents have always… had a plan for her." Fluttershy began, organizing her thoughts, "She was a fast filly from the start, and her father knew that she had potential of becoming a very skilled flier, and potentially, a Wonderbolt."

Everypony silently followed along.

"So, he started putting her into camps, like the 'Junior Speedsters,' which is where she met Gilda," Fluttershy continued, "Her Dad always pushed her so hard... He would tell her that she was the best, that everypony was below her, and that if she worked hard enough, the whole world would be hers."

"That sounds like a bit more than building confidence," Alex said.

"It makes sense," Twilight explained, "I mean; Dash had to get her attitude from somewhere."

"She's actually way better now," Fluttershy smiled, surprising everypony, "Dash was winning races against ponies twice her age, and getting a lot of attention around Cloudsdale… They were even planning on sending her to an early Wonderbolts training program a few years ago."

"I've never heard her mention such a thing," Rarity said, cocking her head, "Why didn't she attend?"

"While she never said it to me, I think it was because she just wanted to be a normal girl for a while," Fluttershy answered, "That and… well…"

"What?" Everypony asked in unison, wanting to know why Rainbow Dash would have passed up such an opportunity.

"It was over me…" Fluttershy admitted, looking down, a bit shamefully.

"You…?" Alex asked.

"What could you have done?" Applejack asked.

"Her Dad wanted her to be the best... which meant that she couldn't have anypony holding her back," Fluttershy explained, "And it might surprise you all to know, that I wasn't a very good flier when I was a filly."

Everypony immediately felt badly for her. They all knew where this was going next.

"He told her that she shouldn't have friends that were going to slow her down…" Fluttershy continued, "And since Dash had spent so much time over the years looking out for me… She wasn't about to stop."

"Wow…" Twilight said quietly.

"Dash never had many friends growing up… Mostly because she thought she was better than everypony else, and they thought she was rude because of that," Fluttershy said, "But she always made sure that I was left alone by all the bullies that tried to pick on me. She always took care of me."

"That's so sweet of her!" Pinkie smiled.

"I don't think her father ever directly told her to stop being my friend, but he sure did insinuate it to her," Fluttershy said, "He said that she needed fast friends, not helpless ones; otherwise she would always be slowed down."

"What about her mom?" Spike asked, "You seemed alright with her."

"I don't think her mother had anything to do with it," Fluttershy said, "She was always so nice to me."

"What happened after that?" Twilight asked, wanting to get back on track.

"She got in a big fight with her Dad, and eventually decided to move away from home," Fluttershy said, "She said that she would become a Wonderbolt by herself, and that being the best wasn't worth losing her best friend."

"Good fer' her!" Applejack beamed, proud that her friend would stand up to her father that way.

"There were some other things too that led to her leaving… But I never asked her about them," Fluttershy finished, "It made her uncomfortable to talk about it."

"I'll have to ask her about this," Alex said, "I'd be really interested to hear it all from her."

"Then tell us after!" Pinkie shouted, "I wanna know too!"

"Do y'all think she'll just… open up like that?" Applejack asked.

"Maybe not right away," Alex said, "But I can get her to, I'm sure of it."

"Good luck, dear," Rarity laughed, "Try not to upset her too much."

Suddenly, the front door was opened, and Rainbow Dash immediately walked inside.

"Hey Dashie!" Pinkie greeted, "How was your—"

Dash ignored her, and walked up the stairs, toward whatever room was hers.

"What's up with her?" Alex asked, as Dash's parents walked through the door a moment later.

"Welcome back," Ramsley said slowly, "How was your time out…?"

"Well, it was going fine," Flash explained, "But when we started asking her about becoming a Wonderbolt, she seemed to get a bit stiff."

"And then when we asked her about her sexual orientation, she got even worse!" Firefly said, "I had so much hope when I saw her long hair, that she had started looking for a nice Pegasus to settle down with. But, she left the dinner table as soon as I brought it up!"

Everypony was silent.

"Perhaps she was just a bit overwhelmed," Firefly suggested, "Let's give her some time to herself, besides, the competition is tomorrow night."

Flash nodded, "But we're getting right back to it tomorrow morning!"

"Of course, dear," Firefly rolled her eyes, "Now, why don't we go to bed?"

"Which room was ours again?" Flash asked Ramsley.

"Oh, allow me to show you," Ramsley said, walking up the stairs, "It's just this way…"

"Do they know that Dash doesn't want to become a Wonderbolt anymore?" Alex asked everypony quietly.

"If Dash didn't mention her Wonderbolt training a few months ago, does that mean Ramsley hasn't mentioned it to her parents either?" Twilight whispered, "Are they totally in the dark?"

"They just think they're here for the competition, in hopes that it'll bring Dash closer to becoming a Wonderbolt," Alex theorized, "I don't think Ramsley would explain all this stuff, I think he would just assume that they already knew, because Dash had told them. They are her parents after all."

"So she's probably going to be upset until she comes clean to her Mom and Dad." Spike said.

"Maybe somepony should go talk to," Fluttershy suggested, looking right to Alex.

"I'll go, I'll go," Alex said, "Do you guys know which room she's in?"

"The one at the far end of the left hall," Twilight said, "That's the opposite side from her parents. Mine is right next to theirs, I think."

"Okay…" Alex said, thinking for a moment, "If they start heading for her room, let me know, okay?"

Twilight nodded, "I'll keep my ears open."

"Thanks," Alex said, standing up, "Wish me luck, you guys!"

/

Alex quietly snuck down to Dash's room, and knocked on the door that had her luggage sitting outside of it. She must have walked past it in her hurry.

"Who is it…?" Dash asked from the other side of the door, sounding a bit down.

"It's Alex…" He whispered, looking cautiously over his shoulder.

Immediately she opened the door, and pulled him inside.

"Did my parents see you?!" Dash whispered harshly.

"No…" Alex said, tiling his head in confusion, "What's up with all of this, anyway?"

Dash sighed, and walked over to her bed, "It's a long story…"

"Fluttershy already filled us in a bit," Alex said, hoping this wouldn't upset her.

"That's good," Dash said, "I wouldn't do well with telling that story myself."

"You really don't want to see them, huh?" Alex asked.

"It's not that," Dash sighed, "It's just… I've become a new pony since I saw them last. And I don't know how to tell them that I don't want to become a Wonderbolt anymore."

Alex nodded.

"They have no idea that I was in the training camp already, or that I gave up my place on the team, so that I could make out with you instead." Dash explained, "It's always been my Dads dream to see me on the Wonderbolts…"

"Wouldn't he just want you to be happy, no matter what you do?" Alex asked.

"Honestly… I don't know," Dash sighed, "He's always wanted me to be a Wonderbolt… And to be honest, so have I. It's all just so complicated…"

"What about me…?" Alex asked a bit nervously, "Why didn't you tell them that we were dating?"

"I prefer the term boy-toy," Dash smiled, "Coltfriend is pushing it."

"It would be pretty weird explaining that to them," Alex admitted sarcastically, "Hey Mom and Dad! This is my lay!"

"Exactly." Dash giggled, "But seriously… You're not exactly the type that my father would choose for me."

Alex cocked an eyebrow.

"I just need to take my time explaining it to him, that's all." Dash said, "I hope that doesn't hurt your feelings too much."

Alex nodded, "I understand, besides, I'm pretty bad with 'girls fathers' in general."

"I never would have guessed," Dash laughed.

"Whatever you decide to do, just let me know," Alex said, "I'll back you up all the way."

"Thanks," Dash smiled.

"I'm going to head back to my room," Alex said, seeing dash suddenly look ill, "Uh… What's wrong?"

"I… I was kinda hoping you could spend the night again…" Dash admitted, "I didn't sleep so well on the train."

Alex understood, "I had the same problem… Was it because of Bolt?"

Dash nodded, "It woke me up a few times on the train ride over here."

Alex completely understood.

"Are you sure it's safe for us to do this? What if we get caught?" Alex asked, knowing that it might cause a sticky situation for her if either of her parents show up.

"I don't think they'll bother me," Dash said, "They always used to give me space when I needed it… So I hope they'd do it again."

"Alright," Alex agreed, "I'll stay the night; but no funny business!"

"Puh-lease," Dash laughed, "You're my boy-toy! You don't get to say 'no'!"

/

A few hours had passed, and Twilight sat in her room reading before she turned in. She had been listening for Dash's parents, so that she could warn Alex in time to escape.

But, it didn't seem like her parents were going to be coming out. They had talked for a few minutes, and then had broken out in some kind of argument. But, it ended rather quickly, with both of them apologizing to one another. From that point on, it had been quiet.

Looking at the clock, Twilight decided that it was too late for them to be going to check on Dash. So, she closed her book, and put it back in her bag.

However, just before she extinguished the light, she heard Firefly say something on the other side of the wall.

"I'm going to check on Dash," She said, "I'll be two minutes."

"Alright," Flash said groggily, clearly being woken up by her, "Take your time…"

Twilight immediately stood up, and ran to the door, before realizing that she couldn't walk there, otherwise she'd be seen. So, she decided to teleport herself there.

Quickly casting the spell, she left her room, and appeared in Dash's room.

"Alex!" Twilight whispered loudly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. After a second, she was able to make out the two in bed.

"Oh, Twilight!" Dash said sitting up, "What's up?"

"Your Mom is coming to check on you!" Twilight said, "Get him out of here!"

"I can teleport us out of here," Twilight said, walking toward him.

"Don't worry, I can do it," Alex said, starting to cast the spell, but taking a moment longer than Twilight would have liked.

Suddenly, Firefly knocked on the door.

"Rainbow, are you still up?" She asked.

"Uh… Yeah!" Dash said, "One sec!"

"Alex, just let me teleport us!" Twilight said, seeing that he was taking too long.

"Is something going on in there?" Firefly asked, faintly hearing Twilight's voice.

"N-no!" Dash lied.

"Well, I'm coming in!" Firefly announced.

Deciding that she had waited long enough, Twilight reached to grab Alex, but missed him, as his teleportation spell finally kicked in, teleporting him under the bed, and out of sight. Twilight then went on, to lose her balance, and fall face first on to Dash's stomach, as Alex hadn't been there to grab on to as she first intended.

"What's going on in here—" Firefly asked, seeing the two girls in the bed together, "Oh dear…"

"Nononono!" Dash said, as Twilight quickly righted herself, "It's not like that!"

"Now, sweet heart, you know that I won't judge you for liking girls!" Her mother said supportively.

"She's just my friend!" Dash tried to explain, while Twilight blushed silently.

"Just a friend…?" Firefly asked, smiling coyly, "Well… To tell you the truth… I had a 'friend' like that when I was your age."

"Mooooom…" Dash whined, really, really not wanting to hear this.

"But I still ended up with your father," She continued, obviously nudging Dash in her direction, "So have fun, but keep your mind open!"

Alex lay silently under the bed, listening to Dash's mother talk about her previous exploits with other mares. And all he could think was 'Nice.'

"Anywho! You girls have fun," Firefly winked, walking out of the room and turning around, "I'll see you in the morning, missy."

She closed the door behind her, and left them alone in silence.

"I'm going to kill Alex," Twilight whispered, her face still flushed as she stood up, "I'm. Going. To. Kill. Him."

"Why?" Alex said, poking his head from under the bed.

Kick. Kick. Kick.

"I'm sorry…" Alex whimpered, "Whatever I did, I'll never do it again."

"Good." Twilight huffed, "Next time YOU can get caught in that position!"

"No thanks," Alex said, "It'd be super awkward."

"Well, I'm going to bed," Twilight said, "I'm not coming to help next time."

Teleporting herself again, she left them alone.

Alex also teleported himself back to the top of the bed.

"I think it would have been better getting caught with you…" Dash sighed, lying back, "I just wanted to go to sleep…"

Alex nodded, "let's just make sure that we aren't caught next though… Your mom might think you're a bit… easy."

Dash simply closed her eyes, and pulled the covers over herself.

Alex got the message, and lay down next to her. Dash had her competition tomorrow, and a lot of confessing to do to her parents. Basically, she needed as much rest as she could get. So, he was going to be here for her, and make sure that she slept through the night peacefully. Tomorrow would be tough on her… But he was going to be here for her, no matter what.

Alex leaned forward and kissed the back of her head, "Goodnight, Colors."

" 'Nite Spot." Dash smiled, knowing that she was going to have a good rest tonight.

/


	42. Sonic Rainboom

/

Sonic Rainboom

/

The next day, things had been awkward for pretty much everypony.

Twilight wasn't speaking to Alex or Dash, for reasons that nopony knew. She wasn't really angry, but was still frazzled.

Dash wasn't talking to Alex, for fear of being discovered.

Alex had been sulking a bit, but quickly made a plan to fix his problems.

Spike and Ramsley went off to catch up.

And the rest of the girls went off and did their own things.

Over the next few hours, a lot of different things happened to the different groups of them, which eventually ended with all them in the stadium, during the middle of the competition, with Alex holding an unconscious Rainbow Dash, flying properly for the first time in his life.

Of course, that was the end. And everypony had a long way to go to get there.

/

Alex – Flash

/

Alex sat on the couch human style, with his hind legs up on the coffee table. Last night had been pretty great, besides being kicked by Twilight. However, it had also been eye opening. He hadn't had the slightest idea that Dash's parents had such a strange perception of her. And he felt bad for her.

So now, he was waiting for her Flash to come downstairs, so he could try to bond with the guy, and perhaps smooth things out enough to come out as her boyfriend.

Everypony had gone out, leaving just the two of them in the mansion.

Spike had gone out with Ramsley to catch up, Rainbow Dash had already left for the competition, Fluttershy had gone out with Firefly, and the other girls had gone shopping. So, this would probably be Alex's only opportunity to make friends with the man.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Flash made his way downstairs toward the living room where Alex currently sat.

Noticing the eerie silence, he turned to Alex.

"Is everypony out?"

Alex nodded, "It's just the two of us here."

Flash nodded, and sat down in a nearby chair.

"So, what's your relationship with my daughter?" Flash asked seriously, catching Alex off guard.

Alex thought for a moment, perhaps he could just come out and say it right now. Pull off the Band-Aid right here. But, at the same time, he didn't want to upset Dash.

"We're friends," Alex shrugged, "Nothing special."

Flash nodded, whilst looking Alex over.

"You a good flier?" Flash asked, noting his wings and horn.

"Not so much," Alex answered nervously, knowing that wasn't the kind of answer he wanted.

"Well… You have the horn too," Flash said, "You do magic?"

"Some," Alex said, scratching the back of his head, "Still learning…"

"Why don't you have a cutie mark?" Flash pressed, "No talent?"

Alex was about to tell him it was because he was a human, and only became a pony recently. However, that might have had a negative impact.

"Nope," Alex answered simply, "No idea yet."

"That's a bit sad," Flash said, leaning back and relaxing.

Alex shrugged, "I'll find it soon, I'm sure."

Silence filled the air, and Alex could feel the clock start ticking. He needed to keep moving with this. The competition was in a few hours, and he was sure that they'd be leaving sooner rather than later.

"So, what was Dash like when she was a filly?" Alex asked, hoping this wasn't an intrusion.

"More than I could handle," Flash laughed softly, closing his eyes, "She was always zipping around."

"Sounds like her today," Alex joked.

"I wouldn't really know," Flash sighed, "I haven't seen her in years."

Alex didn't respond.

"The girl is such a good flier… why did she leave, when she had a ticket to join the Wonderbolts?" Flash continued, "Her mother told me that it was a maturity thing… It still makes me sad."

Flash's sudden openness made Alex a bit uncomfortable, especially since he knew that Dash wouldn't be becoming a Wonderbolt any time soon.

It made him feel kinda guilty.

"Who knows though," Flash sighed happily, "Maybe today is the day."

"Yeah…" Alex said quietly.

"And on top of that, I know a stallion that's also competing in today's competition," Flash explained, "And I'm hoping that I can get the two set up together."

"Come again?"

/

Spike – Ramsley

/

"What ever happened to Tulip?" Spike asked, "You know, the big guy that helped us escape?"

"Oh, he moved," Ramsley said, "After you gave him that speech about love, he ran off in search of it."

"That's sweet!" Spike smiled, "I'm glad I could do that for him."

"I am as well," Ramsley agreed.

"Oh!" Spike said quickly, "And what about that creepy dude? Cuddly Bear?"

"Nopony has seen him since you all went home," Ramsley shrugged, "I assume he got another job."

Spike shrugged, then tried to think up a new line of conversation.

"How's Comet been?" Spike asked, taking a bite out of the pizza Ramsley had just bought him.

"Well, she's been doing better," Ramsley answered, taking a quick sip of water, "Over the past couple months; she's been much more popular with the Wonderbolts."

"That's good to hear," Spike smiled, "But… How have the TWO of you been."

Ramsley rolled his eyes, "Wouldn't you like to know."

"I would!" Spike said, hoping to find out how they had been doing as a couple, or if it hadn't worked out.

"Simply, I have been helping her with locating the old aspects of herself," Ramsley explained, hoping his words weren't too big for Spike, "But… nothing has happened besides that."

"Ohhh," Spike said, nodding slowly.

"What?" Ramsley asked, "Is that not okay?"

"I just thought you two would have been a couple, that's all!" Spike explained, "I thought for sure that you two were gonna work things out."

"Well, for your information," Ramsley began, not stopping to think, "I've tried plenty of times to reinitiate our courtship, but she had so far been… unresponsive."

"Oh!" Spike nodded, "She's playing hard to get!"

"Hard to get?" Ramsley asked, not having considered this option, "Why do you say that?"

"Well, that's how all girls are!" Spike explained, "But listen! I know exactly how every girl can be… And I can help you."

"You, can help me?" Ramsley asked, trying not to laugh.

"Of course!" Spike said confidently, "Listen, if you follow my instructions, I can get you two together!"

Ramsley squinted at Spike. He wanted to say 'no.' Every fiber of his being was screaming 'don't do it!' But… Spike had landed himself one of the most attractive mares he had ever seen. So, maybe he did know a thing or two.

"Alright…" Ramsley said, unsure of this decision, "Teach me your ways, Spike."

"Perfect!" Spike said jumping up, "Follow me! We need to go get you a big top hat!"

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

/

The Girls

/

"Wow!" Rarity said, looking at another rack of clothing, "Look at how good this dress looks!"

"You should make one that looks like it!" Pinkie said.

"I'm an ORIGINAL mare, Pinkie," Rarity explained, "I couldn't just rip off somepony's work."

"Oh!" Applejack said, "Look at this one!"

"It's really nice," Twilight agreed.

And so the girls kept… Shopping…

/

Rainbow Dash

/

Dash looked at the stadium in front of her.

She had come early so she could get reacquainted with the area. Of course, she hadn't been here all that long ago.

Spreading her wings, she started flapping them, preparing to take off. However, before she had the chance, she was interrupted.

"Would you look at who it is!" The voice said from behind her, "Rainbow Dash."

Turning around, Dash felt her stomach drop

"T-Tempest?" Dash managed, seeing the large blue Pegasus standing behind her.

"You've grown up quite a bit, haven't you?" He said casually, as he eyed her up, "You look good."

Dash looked away, hiding the faint blush he had elicited from her.

Tempest was the first boy she ever had a crush on. They had grown up in Cloudsdale together. He had been a few years older than her, and had always been a better flier than her. So, naturally, she had looked up to him. There hadn't been much in the way of communication between them, besides the odd conversations every now and then. Of course, Dash had loved their few conversations, no matter how short they had been.

He had aged well for himself as well, Dash had to admit. He was muscular, good-looking, and probably, an amazing flier.

"You're here for the competition, right?" Tempest asked, as Dash finally remade eye contact.

"Yeah," Dash answered, "I was invited by the team manager."

"You know Comet?" Tempest asked, "She's my aunt."

"Really?" Dash asked casually, "Small world, huh?"

"How do you know her?" Tempest asked.

"Uh…" Dash said, thinking for a moment.

If Tempest was here, that meant that her own parents HAD to know too. So she couldn't exactly come out and tell him that she had almost become a Wonderbolt already. It was sort of surprising that nopony had heard about her and Alex on the field during the race.

Oh well.

"Acquaintance," Dash lied, "Met her downtown!"

"Right, well," Tempest said, pushing the conversation in a new direction, "How would you like to do something after the competition with me?"

Dash immediately flushed. She was flattered, for sure, but she had no intention of doing anything with him.

"No…" Dash said, trying not to sound too obvious, "I'll probably be pretty tired…"

"Come on," Tempest pushed, "You'd look pretty good, being out with the winner."

"Look, I already told—" Dash said, before catching herself, "What was that last part?"

"Being out with the winner?" Tempest asked.

"You think that… you're going to win?" Dash asked, cocking her head, "Do you know who I am?"

"Listen, doll," Tempest said cockily, "Just because you're cute, doesn't mean I'm going to let you win."

Dash was in a foreign situation to her. Normally, it was her that was mouthing off, and being way too overconfident. But hearing this guy talk made her realize that she must have sounded like a major jerk whenever she had this attitude.

"How about this," Dash feigned a smile, "If you win, I'll go out with you."

"That was easy," Tempest grinned, "I'm glad you got the idea… Some girls can be so slow, you know?"

Dash frowned.

"Well, I'm going to get ready," Tempest said walking past her, "I'll see you in a few hours, sweet heart."

Maybe she was getting too involved in this lie. Maybe it would just be easier to just come out and be honest about Alex… Na. Not yet.

Sighing, Dash briefly looked to him, and then continued her inspection of the field. Her flight plan would be simple. Some loops, some weaves, and a Sonic Rainboom or two to finish it off.

This would be a piece of cake.

/

?

/

"The targets will soon converge," He said.

"Good," The Boss said, "You know what to do then."

"Rain hell down, and see their responsive capabilities," He smiled.

"Report back afterward, and don't get spotted."

"Don't worry about me," He laughed, "I'm not about to be spotted by a bunch of Equestrians."

/

Spike – Ramsley

/

Ramsley and Spike stood outside of the manager office, quietly discussing how Ramsley was going to go about picking up the mare they had fought so hard against, just a few months ago.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Ramsley asked, brushing his dark purple suit, "This outfit seems ridiculous."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked, "That's the same color as my coat! I've been told it's an adorable color."

"…I think you've been lied to." Ramsley said absentmindedly, before finally looking determinedly up from the suit, "Alright, let's do this."

"Now remember!" Spike said quickly, "You need to be cool, and you need to talk to her in SMALL words."

Ramsley nodded, and started heading toward the door.

"And stop acting so high and mighty!" Spike added, "You do that a lot!"

Ramsley shot him a look, as he quickly knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Comet called.

Ramsley walked into the room, and Saw Comet with her back turned, looking out the window, at Rainbow Dash as she took a few high speed laps around the track.

"Hey, Chaser," Ramsley said nonchalantly, trying out Spike's advice about apathy toward women.

"Hey Ram," She answered happily, still watching Dash.

"How's it going… Good lookin'?" Ramsley said, following another piece of Spikes advice, by using the most endearing terms he could think of.

"Good looking?" Comet asked, turning around and immediately cracking up, "W-what are you wearing?"

"A… Fancy suit…" Ramsley said, quickly losing his confidence.

"Why are you wearing it…?" She asked, holding back all out laughter.

"For the competition!" Ramsley lied, "Why else?"

Comet bit her lip as she looked him over, "It's a cute color at least."

Outside the room, Spike was nodding confidently. It was the CUTEST color.

"So… What did you need again?" Comet asked, grinning.

"I wanted to ask you… if…" Ramsley said, tripping himself up.

"If…?" She asked, looking at him oddly, holding her breath.

"If… I could borrow some tissue…" Ramsley said quietly.

"Oh, sure," Comet said, biting a piece of tissue out of the box in front of her, and lightly tossing it to him.

"Thanks…!" Ramsley said, quickly backing out of the room.

"Oh, Ram!" Comet called, seeing his fast retreat, "Don't forget that you and all of your guests are gonna be in the VIP box with me."

"I already told them!" Ram called, not looking back to her, as he closed the door behind him.

"What was that?!" Spike asked, completely lost at Ramsley's inability to ask her out, "I thought you were more confident than this!"

"Not when it comes to her, okay?" Ramsley said quickly, "I just need some time to build up my courage… I'll do it at the game tonight."

"I wouldn't be surprised if that didn't happen," Spike said, earning a sigh from Ramsley, "I thought you said that she had been 'unresponsive!'"

"Okay, well that MAY have been a lie."

Spike sighed, "Come on; let's go work on your technique."

/

Fluttershy – Firefly

/

"So dear," Firefly said, sipping her drink, "How have things been in Ponyville for you?"

"They've been wonderful!" Fluttershy answered, "I've made so many wonderful friends!"

"Great," Firefly smiled, "You did have a bit of trouble making those in Cloudsdale."

"Everypony was so focused on flying!" Fluttershy giggled, "I was more interested in sitting around."

"You were a very different pony from them…" Firefly said absentmindedly, "But you seem much more open now."

"Thanks!" Fluttershy smiled, "I've been trying my best to be a more involved mare."

"That's good to hear," Firefly smiled, "And how has Rainbow Dash been? She speaks to us so little these days…"

"Well, since she started dating Alex it's been…" Fluttershy stopped.

"Pardon?" Firefly asked immediately

Fluttershy didn't know what to say… She had just revealed the ONE thing Dash had wanted her to keep quiet… And she let it go so easily!

"Is Rainbow Dash dating that white stallion we met yesterday?" Firefly asked in surprise.

Fluttershy nodded slowly.

"Why did she try to keep that from us?" Firefly asked simply, not dwelling on the fact that Fluttershy had withheld that piece of information from her.

"Um… I think it's the details behind him that she lied over…" Fluttershy said quietly.

"How much is Rainbow Dash keeping from us?" Firefly asked seriously.

Fluttershy looked at the ground, "I can't say… Sorry…"

That was fair. Rainbow Dash trusted Fluttershy to keep that secret for her. And even though Firefly knew that she could force it out of her by begging, she decided not to. It would just give Dash another reason to just ignore her and her husband.

"Would it be too much to ask if maybe… You'd pretend I hadn't told you that?" Fluttershy asked quietly, "I think she's going to tell you tonight…"

"Sure thing," Firefly said, "However… There might be one problem."

"What's that?" Fluttershy asked.

"Do you remember Tempest from when you were a filly?" Firefly asked, "The colt that Dash would always fawn over?"

"I do!" Fluttershy said, "I had such a big crush on him…"

"Well, he's competing this year," Firefly explained, "And my husband and I, may have told him to try and… pick her up."

"Oh." Fluttershy said simply.

"He's convinced that after she sees his amazing flying skills, she'll instantly fall for him." Firefly laughed, "He's sure he's going to win."

"I don't mean him any offense…" Fluttershy said timidly, "But Rainbow Dash is going to leave him in the dust."

Firefly smiled, "I guess we have nothing to worry about then."

/

Alex – Flash

/

Flash had gotten up, and decided to go check out the shopping. And of course, Alex followed him out.

Walking through the shopping district of Manehattan, Alex and Flash had simply chatted about whatever came to Flash's mind. Alex had tried to steer the conversation back to the pony that was competing in the competition that was going to try and pick up Dash. However, he didn't want to look to obvious.

Something else that had been happening a lot was that random ponies would approach them, and tell them that they looked cute together. It had happened several times, and Bolt was getting annoyed with it.

"What is with these ponies?" Flash asked, fairly irritated, "Why do they all think that either we're gay, or I'm a mare?"

Of course, Alex had a good idea why they had been getting this attention from everypony. They had probably all been at the entry race for the Wonderbolts… And they remembered Alex making out with a pony that had a RAINBOW mane. So, most of them had just figured that they had gotten the details wrong, concerning the gender of the rainbow pony.

"I guess we just have that aura about us," Alex said simply, as they were approached by yet another mare.

"I saw that race with you two in it!" She said quickly, "The way you two kissed each other was so sweet!"

Flash recoiled.

Alex sighed, "I think you have us confused with two other ponies."

"I remember that spot on your wing!" She said, "And you have no Cutie Mark, AND you're an alicorn."

Flash eyed Alex.

"I don't know what to say!" Alex lied, surprisingly well, "It's just a coincidence."

Finally accepting that answer, the girl gave a small 'aww,' and then headed back to the girl she had been traveling with.

"That mare sure had you pegged." Flash laughed, "But if that wasn't you, let's hope that he's not the evil twin."

Alex laughed nervously, the evil twin comment hit a bit close to home.

"Geez, would you look at the time?" Flash asked, looking up at a clock tower, "We should probably start heading toward the stadium."

Alex glanced up and smiled. He was pretty excited to see her perform again.

"Let's just grab some food first," Alex said, walking into a fast food restaurant they had just passed, with Flash in tow.

Entering, Alex walked up to the register, and rung the bell.

Then, the last pony Alex expected to see walked out from the back, dressed in a striped white outfit, with a yellow cap.

"Welcome to McBucks…" He said, looking up from the ground, "What can I get— Oh, great."

"…Jango?" Alex asked, in shock, "Y-you work here?"

Jango simply growled.

"What's with you two?" Flash asked, looking between them.

"Get out of here before I kick you out myself," Jango threatened.

"Don't get angry at me!" Alex retorted, "You're the one that pushed ME out of a blimp!"

"What?" Flash asked, "Blimp?"

Walking from behind the counter, Jango moved himself right into Alex's face.

"I was just doing my job! To protect the Wonderbolts!" Jango growled, "Besides, that reunited you and your friend in the end."

"It did," Alex nodded simply.

"You're just lucky that your evil twin came to rescue when he did," Jango said, turning around walking behind the counter again.

"I guess I am." Alex agreed, seeing that Jango really didn't want to fight at this point.

"Don't just stand around," Jango said, "I'm not serving you, so just go."

"Fine," Alex said, still watching Jango, "We'll be late for the competition anyway."

Flash simply nodded, not wanting these two to get in any kind of fight.

As they walked away from the McBucks, Flash couldn't help but notice a complete shift in Alex's persona. He was deadly serious right now. Something had gone on between them… Something involving the Wonderbolts, an evil twin, and his 'friend.'

Flash really REALLY wanted to ask… But he was kinda afraid of what he would hear.

/

Rainbow Dash

/

Dash stood in the dressing room alone. The competition was going to start soon, but her head been flooded with all of the memories she had experienced here.

How many times had she gotten in this dressing room?

How many times had she flown around the track outside?

How many times had she cried herself to sleep in this place?

So much had happened here.

"Rainbow Dash?" A voice said from behind her.

Dash didn't want to turn around. It was Comet.

"I-I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable…" Comet said softly.

Dash was silent.

Comet nodded silently and then turned around. She hadn't expected Dash to have forgiven her… but it was worth a try.

"I'm fine…" Dash said, "I'll see you when the competition starts."

Comet smiled to herself.

"Alright," She answered, walking out. She would have stayed behind to talk to her more… But she also didn't want to smother her.

As soon as Dash heard the door close, she thought back to the first time she had met Comet… It had been just after she came to the Wonderbolt training center for the first time.

Comet had been addressing the trainees, when one of the recruiters whispered in her ear.

Comet had then turned to Dash, and silently looked her over. It had been one of the most nerve racking moments of her entire life. She thought she had done something wrong, and was about to be kicked out.

Instead, Comet had simply gone back to addressing everypony.

Pretty quickly, Dash had figured out that Comet was being informed of her amazing racing stats. That had been why she held on to her so tightly when Alex shown up.

Still, it didn't matter how much she thought her intentions were worth. Dash couldn't look past what she had done just yet.

/

?

/

He walked through the streets toward his attack point, the time was coming, and maybe he would get lucky, and everypony would just die here. Every variable had been planned. The Princesses wouldn't hear word of this until extensive damage had been done to the town. So, it would be up to the bearers of the Elements of Harmony to stop this themselves. However, there really wasn't much any of them could do, besides the unicorns of the group.

Much damage would be done.

He was sure there would be good news for the boss.

/

Fluttershy – Firefly

/

"So…" Firefly said, "What exactly have Rainbow and Alex done?"

"I've seen them kiss a lot," Fluttershy said, figuring that since the cat was out the bag, she could fill Firefly in on the juicy details, just as long as she didn't say anything too important, "He's been sleeping with her for the past few days as well."

"My, Fluttershy!" Firefly giggled, "That was forward of you!"

"Oh!" Fluttershy immediately blushed, "I really mean that they've have been SLEEPING together for a couple days now… I don't know about all that other stuff."

"They just started recently, hmm?" Firefly asked, grinning, and taking another sip of her drink, "When exactly was that?"

"Since they discovered Princess Luna's long lost Great-Great-Great Granddaughter I guess." Fluttershy answered simply.

Firefly almost spat her drink all over Fluttershy, but swallowed so she could speak, "They did… What?!"

"Oh, you didn't hear?" Fluttershy asked, "Princess Luna, and a young filly in Ponyville are related!"

"How did Rainbow Dash find that out?" Firefly asked in awe.

"Time travel," Fluttershy smiled innocently.

This time, Firefly DID spit out her drink all over poor Fluttershy.

/

Spike – Ramsley

/

"Alright," Spike said, "She's sitting RIGHT there… Go get her!"

"I- I don't know…" Ramsley said quickly.

Spike and Ramsley were in the hallway that led to the VIP box, looking through the clear glass window attacked to the door, at Comet, who was simply watching the various ponies warm up.

"Be a man!" Spike whined, "A few hours ago, you were begging for my help!"

"That's not how I recall it," Ramsley answered.

"Well I do!" Spike said, "And I'm the boss!"

Ramsley sighed, "Fine. What do I do next?"

"Go in there, and ask her out!" Spike said, "Chicks dig confidence! And also, don't burp in front of them."

Rolling his eyes, Ramsley walked over to the door, "I'll try not to 'burp' then."

Opening it, he walked in.

As soon as the door closed again, Spike pressed his face against the glass. This was the most fun he had had in weeks.

/

The Girls

/

"Ah' can't believe how many bags you have, Rarity!" Applejack said, seeing more than a dozen bags floating around Rarity as they walked toward the stadium, "Ah' don't think Ah've bought that much in mah' entire life!"

"Then we need to go out more often!" Rarity laughed.

"Where are you going to put everything?" Twilight asked, "I don't think the stadium has enough room."

"We're in the VIP lounge, Dear!" Rarity said, "It'll have plenty of room."

"Oh yeah," Twilight said, "At least we're not crashing into the place on a blimp this time!"

"Why?" Pinkie asked, "It was so much fun!"

"We have very different definitions of 'fun.'" Twilight laughed.

"You've gotta admit," Applejack said, "It was pretty excitin'!"

"Even I enjoyed myself," Rarity agreed.

"Well…" Twilight said, "After we safely got back to the ground, it was pretty fun."

"Especially when we got to see Alex and Dashie suckin' face!" Pinkie giggled.

After a few more minutes of idle conversation, they finally arrived at the stadium, and made their way to the VIP lounge. But strangely, when they arrived, Spike had his face pressed against the glass, watching whatever was happening inside.

"Spike?" Twilight asked, "What are you doing?"

"Shhh!" Spike said, "Come look!"

Walking over, they all peered through the large glass at Ramsley and Comet.

"What are they doing?" Pinkie asked quietly.

"I think he's about to ask her out!" Spike said giddily.

Suddenly they all had their faces pressed to the glass. Everypony wanted to see this.

/

Alex – Flash

/

Alex and Flash were about to enter the stadium, when the rainbow pony suddenly stopped, confusing Alex.

"What's up?" Alex asked, seeing the hard look on Flash's face.

"What was all that?" He asked, finally having gotten his courage up, "Back at McBucks."

"Oh," Alex said, surprised that Flash hadn't asked earlier, "It was something that happened a while ago."

"What exactly happened?" Flash asked, determined to know what was going on.

Alex wasn't sure whether he was allowed to say… Maybe he could, if he just omitted the parts about Rainbow Dash.

"Well," Alex began, satisfied with his organized thoughts, "My friend was competing in a Wonderbolts entry race… And I was pushed out of a blimp, and landed on her."

"Why does that sound like a load of crap to me?" Flash asked.

"Probably the blimp part," Alex laughed.

"So?" He asked again.

"Everything will be explained later… I think." Alex said, "Just wait, and if you don't know by the time we leave tomorrow night, I'll tell you myself."

This confused Flash.

It sounded like he was involved in all of this somehow.

"Look," Flash said, "I just wanted to know, because you're obviously not the pony I thought you were."

"I'm barely a pony, sir," Alex said, being more truthful then Flash knew.

"I can see that," He laughed, "Come on, let's go see Dash do her thing."

Walking inside, they followed the instructions they had received toward the VIP lounge, where they saw a group of their friends standing in the hall, looking through a window.

"What's going on?" Alex asked them.

"Shhhh!" They all said in unison.

"Ram is gonna' ask out Comet!" Applejack said quickly, not looking away.

"I'm in!" Alex said, lamely flapping his wings, and making his way over to the window.

Flash wasn't sure what the huge deal was about, regarding those two… But he wasn't going to be the only pony NOT looking in the window.

/

Fluttershy – Firefly

/

"I have a great time with you today," Fluttershy smiled, as she and Firefly walked through the stadium toward the VIP box they were going to sit in, "We should get together more often."

"I agree," Firefly smiled, "Cloudsdale isn't too far from Ponyville."

"Maybe I can even bring Dash along with me," Fluttershy suggested, "Well… If she wants too."

"I'm sure we could convince her." Firefly said, "But then again, if she becomes a Wonderbolt… She might be too busy."

Fluttershy frowned. She felt bad for withholding this from Firefly… But she was sure that Dash would come clean tonight… She hoped.

"Hey look," Firefly said, "There's everypony."

Fluttershy cocked her head, "What are they all looking at?"

"They're gonna do it!" Pinkie squeaked.

Fluttershy and Firefly looked at each other, then back to the group.

"Flashie!" Firefly said to her husband, "What's going on?"

"These two are going to kiss or something…" He said, his eyes glued to the window.

"Good enough for me!" Firefly said, walking next to Flash.

"Um… Okay." Fluttershy said, squeezing herself in.

/

Rainbow Dash

/

Rainbow stood in the group of ponies that she was competing with.

The lineup had been pretty simple. Tempest was going to go first, and Rainbow Dash was slated to go second. The other twenty-or-so competitors would go after them.

"You ready to see everypony quit?" Tempest asked Dash confidently.

"And why would everypony quit?" Dash asked.

"Nopony is going to want to go after me, sweet cheeks," Tempest grinned, "They don't stand a chance."

"For sure," Dash said, "I'm excited to see you _blow_ me away."

"And when I win that date with you, you'll be the one doing the blowing!" He laughed.

Dash frowned. This guy was an ass.

/

Ramsley - Comet

/

"Why did you come in here alone again?" Comet asked, since Ramsley had come into the room, and started discussing the nice color of the grass on the field.

"The grass isn't a good enough conversation for you?" Ramsley laughed nervously, sweating more than he ever had.

"Look…" Comet said, "I think I get it."

"Get it?" Ramsley asked, suddenly short of breath.

"I know why you've been acting so weird around me." She said flatly.

"Y-you do…?" Ramsley said, gulping.

"Yes," Comet said, "You want your old job back as head of security, right?"

"…Come again?" Ramsley asked.

"I don't have that kind of control over the security," Comet said, "The security is owned by the stadium, not by the Wonderbolts, since we just rent the space."

Ramsley was quiet. He didn't want to correct her, and make her sound stupid.

"So… I'm sorry Ram." She said earnestly, "But… I think I can make it up to you."

"Make it up…?" He asked, liking where this might be going.

"Why don't I treat you to dinner?" She asked, smiling.

Ramsley looked toward the window, to give Spike a nod of confidence. However, he was shocked to see eight pairs of eyes peering at him.

Turning back to her, he smiled awkwardly.

"I would love to go out with you!" He said, seeing her perk up at his acceptance, "But… To be honest, I never wanted my job back."

"I know," Comet sighed happily, "I just needed an excuse to ask you out, since you were never gonna do it for me."

"That is true…" Ramsley admitted, "I'm not the confidant pony that I used to be, that is for sure…"

"And now everypony is watching through the window, expecting something to happen between us," Comet said, gesturing behind her.

Ramsley shook his head. "They are quite the group."

"I can see why you like them," She smiled, "Block the window."

/

Everypony Else

/

The anticipation had reached its climax, as Comet slowly inched her way toward Ramsley. They all held their breath as he small gap closed between the two. However, just before anypony was able to see anything, Ramsley cast a spell, and covered the window they were peeking through with a large poster that had been on the wall, preventing them all from seeing the one thing they had all been dying to see.

After a few seconds passed, the poster fell, and revealed a very satisfied looking Ramsley.

The collective groan from the group was loud enough to hear clearly in the room.

"Well THAT was a waste of my time," Flash grumbled.

"At least he did it!" Spike said proudly, "…I think."

"Good for them," Twilight said, "She may have locked us all in a dungeon, but it's nice to see her turn over a new leaf."

"Ah' agree!" Applejack smiled.

"Well, if nothing's going to happen, let's just go into the booth." Alex said, "I don't want to miss Dash just because we all got wrapped up in this."

"Me neither!" Pinkie agreed.

So, the group filed into the room, each of them giving Ramsley and Comet a knowing glance. Something the two relished in.

"What does the order look like?" Firefly asked Comet.

"First up is…" Comet began, looking at a clip board in front of her, "Tempest… Then Rainbow Dash."

"Nice and early," Alex smiled, "I hate having to sit around and wait on this kind of stuff."

/

Rainbow Dash

/

Dash thought to herself.

She had realized something a few minutes ago. Something that was more than likely going to blow her cover with her parents.

Before each competitor went, the announcer would read a small segment about them, introducing them to the audience. Of course, if the guy was going to read anything about her, it was more than likely going to be about her exploits the last time she was in Manehattan.

Sighing, Dash decided to let whatever happen, happen. It was too late now. She sure had gone through a lot just to be figured out so fast...

"Well, it looks like it's just about my turn to go," Tempest said walking up to her.

"Don't break a wing or anything." Dash said simply.

"Competitor one!" A mare called from the entrance to the arena.

"That's me!" Tempest smiled, walking away.

"Good luck, Tempest!" Dash called, watching the pony confidently trot out of the room. She was pretty curious to see how far he had come since they were kids. Of course, she wasn't worried about losing to him in any sense. After all, she had almost become a Wonderbolt herself.

Walking toward the entryway, she watched the crowd cheer as he came out, followed shortly by the announcer telling the audience his name, and a bit of his background. Shortly after, she watched him bolt into the sky, at a rather impressive speed. Well… Impressive for an average pony.

The obstacles that had been set up for him were simplistic. He waved between some clouds, did a few barrel rolls, and even managed to get a streak of color behind him. And then, to finish his act, he started flying laps around the arena, keeping himself rather close to the audience as he went.

His speed increased so much, that he was starting to make some seriously powerful gusts of wind as he lapped. Slowly, he started to tighten his loops, forcing the wind to follow him into a tighter area. Until it was spinning quickly in the middle of the arena, making a small tornado, that once he was satisfied with it, he flew high into the air, and then plummeted right into the center of it, dispersing the wind away, and destroying the tornado.

The crowd erupted into cheering as soon as he landed.

Dash simply nodded. He was good. And he would have definitely been the kind of guy she would have been interested in, had she not already been with somepony that stomped all over this guy.

After the applause finally calmed down, Tempest walked back into the room, with his chest puffed out further than anypony would think possible.

"How did you like that, ladies?" He asked the room, full of now VERY nervous ponies, well, save Dash, "So sweet heart, you ready to accept that date?"

"You've gotta give me a chance to try and beat you first!" Dash said, pretending that she was also stunned by his display.

"Give it your best shot," He laughed, "I don't expect too much, though."

"Geez, fine!" Dash said, walking out the door.

Walking through the tunnel, Dash heard a faint rumbling in the distance.

"Is that thunder?" She asked herself, as she reached the field, and looked up. The sky looked clear, so she decided that it must have been the audience.

"Well, would you look who it is!" The announcer called over the speaker system, "We all remember THIS pony!"

Dash cringed. Here it came. The big reveal.

"So, since we all remember her, I won't waste time by talking about everything she did a few months ago!" He continued, "Whenever you're ready, Rainbow Dash!"

Everything went better than expected.

Leaning forward, Dash smiled to herself, and then took off.

/

Everypony Else

/

"Did anypony hear that?" Alex asked, hearing a deep rumbling.

"Is that thunder?" Comet asked, leaning forward, and looking up at the clear blue sky, "It's supposed to be sunny today."

"Maybe it's something else," Ramsley suggested, "Who knows what's going on outside."

Everypony quietly agreed with him, but they all had a rather foreboding feeling.

Tempest had just gone back in the stadium to a roaring cheer. He had done well, but everypony knew Dash would trump him. Well, everypony except her parents. It was a bit sad that they were the only two that didn't fully understand her skill.

"Does anypony know what Dash was planning on doing?" Flash asked, waiting for her to come out of the stadium.

"I think she said she was going to rotate some clouds…" Fluttershy recalled, "Evade some obstacles… And finish with a Sonic Rainboom?"

Flash and Firefly both started laughing at the mention of 'Sonic Rainboom.'

"What?" Applejack asked, looking between them.

"Is she still going on about that 'Sonic Rainboom,'" Flash laughed, giving air-quotations on the term.

"She was so convinced she had done it, even her friends believed her." Firefly giggled.

Everypony else looked back and forth. Each of them had heard Dash mention doing a Sonic Rainboom at one point or another, and they all just assumed that she was capable of pulling it off... Could that have been made up? But… at the same time, Dash was a VERY capable pony, and her parents seemed to have a bit of a skewed picture of her in their minds.

"Oh look, there's Dashie!" Pinkie said, pointing to the cyan pony exiting the interior of the stadium.

"Well, would you look who it is!" The announcer said, as Alex suddenly gulped, hoping he wasn't about to be exposed to her parents, "We all remember THIS pony!"

Alex cringed, here it came.

"So, since we all remember her, I won't waste time by talking about everything she did a few months ago!" He laughed, "Whenever you're ready, Rainbow Dash!"

Everything went better than expected.

"Well, there she goes!" Rarity said, looking following her as she flew around the track, dodging various obstacles around the track in a very stylish manner.

"She looks like she's doing well," Comet said.

"Did you expect any less?" Alex asked, not taking his eyes off Dash.

"No," Comet said softly, smiling.

Flash and Firefly simply watched in awe. Dash was better than they thought she would have been.

/

?

/

"Such a talented pony," He said, standing on the roof of a nearby building, "It's a shame…"

Pointing his horn to the sky, he cast the spell as he had been instructed.

Then suddenly, a small rip appeared in the sky miles in the sky, invisible to anypony who wasn't looking right at it, and thousands of black clouds started pouring downward, toward the arena.

The clouds had almost given him away when their collective rumbling could be heard beyond the spell. But, they quieted down.

"Let's see what gets done," He smiled.

The clashes and bolts started instantly, as the storm announced itself.

And now, he was going to sit back, and enjoy the show.

/

Rainbow Dash

/

Dash had reached an impressive altitude, as all the clouds surrounding her were spinning in circles. A very difficult maneuver to pull off, but she had done it.

"This is it…" Dash smiled, looking at the ground below her, "Hit the Rainboom… Do a lap… And then stop on the finish line."

Dash had been so focused on the ground below her, that she failed to notice the mass of clouds above her that had now blocked out the sun.

Perhaps if Dash had taken off right away, or had heard the deep rumbling of the clouds, she could have moved in time. Unfortunately, she simply didn't.

The last thing she remembered from her place in the sky, was a horrible pain to her back and left wing, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.

It didn't knock her out… But it stunned her enough to have no idea that she was plummeting to the ground.

/

Everypony else

/

"Dash!" Flash shouted, seeing the blast hit her.

"She's falling!" Firefly gasped.

"Does this damn window open?" Flash shouted at Comet, as he banged on the glass.

"It… It doesn't," Comet said in awe, still looking at Dash.

"Nopony could get to her through that storm," Ramsley said, looking at the now constant blasts of lightning passing by the falling pony, "What's going on…?"

Instantly, the glass shattered, as Alex ran out the opening, and took off into the sky, flying properly for the first time.

He felt the bolts blast past him and make contact with the stadium ground, and stands. But he didn't care what was happening below, he needed to help Dash.

Closing the distance, quickly Alex reached out his arms, and started falling himself, so he could compensate for her falling speed. And finally, he had her land on her back in his arms.

Propping her limp head up to his shoulder, he could feel her breath on his neck.

"Thank Celestia," Alex sighed, as a blast of energy tried to make contact with him, but simply bounced back in the direction it had come. He wasn't about to let some lightning hurt the two of them anymore.

Alex looked up the thick coat of black that now covered all of Manehattan. The bolts were relentlessly blasting the city around him, doing some real damage to the buildings.

Looking down to the stadium, Alex could easily see black marks covering the ground, even at his high altitude, where he was managing to keep himself airborne fairly well.

Something quickly caught his eye. Something he had initially thought to be a black spot was moving… It was flying toward him.

After some squinting, he quickly realized it was Princess Luna. He didn't even know that she was here.

"Alex!" She shouted through the claps, quickly reaching him, "Take her to safety!"

"What's going on?" Alex shouted back, "Who did this?"

"We can speculate on such matters later!" She returned, "Whoever did this, obviously did not know that I can easily manipulate weather!"

"Okay!" Alex shouted back to her.

"Whatever spell you were using to deflect the energy, you need to expand it as far as possible!" Luna shouted again, "Protect everypony until I finish my spell!"

Closing his eyes, Alex transported himself to the ground, where he gently placed Dash on the ground.

At first, he had considered making a bubble to protect the ground from the storm, but it would have been impractical. So, instead, he cast a white sheet of magic as far as he could. Unfortunately, that still wasn't very far. He barely protected the stadium itself. The surrounding city was still taking damage.

"Alex!" Twilight shouted, running up to him, "Let me help you!"

Casting her spell, the white sheet started to turn purple, and Alex felt like Twilight had lifted a massive weight off his back. Together, they managed to expand the sheet over several blocks of the surrounding city, easily blocking the storm. When it came to this kind of magic, Twilight still had miles on Alex. No matter how fast he had learned.

"Keep it up!" Alex said, "Luna is going to stop this!"

"Luna is here?" Twilight asked, with a clear strain in her voice.

"I-I guess," Alex grunted.

"How's Dash?" Twilight asked.

"She's breathing," Alex said, "I've seen her be zapped by lightning before… But this was a BIG blast."

Twilight looked down to friend, and saw the strained look on Dash's face.

"Please hurry, Princess…" Twilight said to herself.

Then, as if on cue, the sky was a deafening blast sounded, as a shockwave emitted from Princess Luna, spreading outward, purifying the black clouds as it went.

Sighing, Alex collapsed on his back, next to Dash.

"A-are you okay, Alex?" Dash squeaked, surprising Alex.

"Dash!" He panted, "You're… You're okay?"

"Like you said… I've been zapped before…" Dash said, closing the small distance between them.

"Are you sure?" Alex asked, genuinely concerned, "That looked bad."

"Thanks for saving me…" She said, leaning in, and kissing him.

"Dash!" Flash shouted, running into them, "How are you—"

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Pinkie scolded, "They're kissing!"

Dash knew she was being watched now, but apparently, she loved kissing in the middle of the stadium like this.

Pulling back, Dash smiled, and then closed her eyes. She was sleepy… And she was safe now.

/

Dash opened her eyes… Where was she?

"Rainbow Dash!" A Doctor said, "It's nice to see you're awake!"

"Aww," Dash groaned, "I'm in the hospital?"

"Don't worry, you're fine," He reassured, "Pegasi are naturally resistant to lightning."

"I know," Dash sighed, "This isn't my first pony-show."

"Well, I'll let your friends know you're awake." He said, walking out of the room, "Take it easy!"

"Dash!" Flash said immediately, pushing into the room, "Are you okay?"

"Geez…" Firefly said, somewhat embarrassed, "The Doctor said she was fine, hon."

"I'm alright," Dash said, sitting up, still feeling a little tender, "How is everypony else? Did anypony get hurt?"

Flash shook his head, "Your friends kept the storm at bay for the entire town. There were no serious injuries."

Everypony else quickly filed into the room, cramping it fairly quickly.

"Before everypony starts talking, I'm okay!" Dash shouted, stopping what probably would have been fifteen minutes of useless conversation, "I just want to know what the buck happened!"

Luna, with a comparably small Scootaloo behind her, then walked into the room, and addressed everypony.

"I believe it was some form of terrorism against Equestria." Luna said, completely silencing the room, "There have been signs of this recently in Canterlot."

"Terrorism?" Alex asked, "I haven't heard THAT word in a while."

"Are you sure, Princess?" Twilight asked, still stunned.

She nodded, "The clouds were clearly not indigenous to Equestria, somepony brought them here from a place that has storms of that like very often."

"But… We dealt with the problem so easily," Twilight said, "What did they hope to achieve by letting loose that storm?"

"Perhaps they were testing us…" Luna suggested, "Or they underestimated us… Either way, this will be investigated, and we'll see if any of it connects to the threats in Canterlot."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Twilight sighed.

"Celestia and the Royal guard are on their way," Luna continued, "We'll see what we find out."

Everypony nodded in agreement.

"What were you doing here?" Twilight asked.

"I decided to bring Scoot-ah-loo for the show," Luna explained, "It was at her request that I did this."

"It's a good thing you showed up at all," Twilight sighed, "Who knows what would have happened without you."

Nodding, Luna turned to Scootaloo.

"Scoot-ah-loo…" Luna pronounced sadly, "I'm sorry that our first trip together has ended such a way."

"It was so cool though!" Scootaloo beamed, "You were so awesome when you stopped the storm ALL by yourself!"

"Well…" Luna blushed, "I just what I was obligated too!"

"Well, duh!" Scootaloo laughed, "You're a Princess!"

The two stepped out, as everypony else continued talking.

"Terrorism?" Twilight sighed, "We've got enough bad guys for right now, if you ask me."

"It's just more rump to kick!" Dash said excitedly, punching the air, before quickly recoiling in pain.

"Are you sure yer okay, sugar cube?" Applejack asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I just need some sleep!" Dash insisted.

"If you insist, dear," Rarity said, turning to Twilight, and discussing some other topic.

With that, everypony moved on to their own conversations. Twilight talked with the girls and Spike, Firefly spoke to the nurse, Comet and Ramsley left the room… Which left Rainbow Flash, Alex, and Dash.

"So." He said, now that he was confident in his daughter's health, and wanting to lighten the mood after everything that just happened. "It seems you two have been keeping something from me, what else happened, besides the dating part?"

"It's a long story, Dad…" Dash sighed, "I'll tell you all about it when I get out of here… There are a few things you need to hear about the past few months…"

"Alright," He answered, "I'll wait for you to be discharged, but in the meantime… Just how close are the two of you?"

"We're not THAT close," Dash said quickly, earning a hard look from Alex.

"We're pretty close," Alex corrected.

"And just how close is that?" Flash asked, with a bit of death in his glare, "Not TOO close I hope."

"Well, it's not like I'm not nailing your daughter, sir!" Alex laughed.

The room went silent, as every pair of eyes went to Alex.

Join us next week, when Alex learns how to NOT speak to your girlfriend's father, ESPECIALLY when she's in the hospital.


	43. Leaving Again

/

Leaving Again

/

/

Alex, Dash, and the 'rents

/

The silence in the room was deafening.

Dash had just finished explaining to her parents what had gone on, the last time she came to Manehattan, and how she no longer had any desire to become a Wonderbolt… At least, she didn't want to be one any time soon.

She went on to explain some things about Alex, her exploits in the months since, and various other things.

"So…" Flash said quietly, "You're sure about this?"

"I am." Dash said frankly.

Flash was quiet.

"Honey…" Firefly said softly to her husband, "Look…"

"Okay." He said, surprising everypony.

"Huh?" Dash asked.

"If you want to try things out with a man, and live a normal life," Flash explained, "I couldn't ask for anything more."

Dash never expected this kind of reaction from him.

"Dad…"

"I've had a lot of time to think about what I did wrong, when you ran away," Flash continued, "And I realized that I was wrong to tell you who to be friends with."

"But… You acted just like you used to-" Dash began, before he cut her off.

"It was easy for me to fall back into that old habit…" Flash sighed, "Your mother and I both just… want you to be happy."

Dash smiled earnestly, "Thank you, Dad."

Firefly and Alex sat in the corner of the room, simply letting the exchange between them continue.

"You're pretty cute…" Firefly whispered in Alex's ear, "Dash has done pretty well for herself."

Alex blushed, "Uh… Thanks…"

"Don't be so coy," She nudged, "I'm not gonna steal you away from her."

"I don't think you could," Alex laughed.

"I've seen the looks you've given me," She winked, "You have a thing for older mares?"

Alex couldn't believe he was having this conversation with Dash's mother.

"You're good-looking;" Alex laughed nervously, "That's all."

"Believe me, I know that," Firefly laughed, "But here's a secret…"

Alex looked at her, his interest piqued.

"Dash is a spitting image of me, twenty years ago," Firefly whispered, "Keep her happy, and you'll have a rainbow-maned version of me when the time comes."

Alex liked that. Of course, thinking twenty years ahead was pretty scary stuff.

"Just saying," She winked again.

Their conversation stopped briefly, as Dash and her father both stood up, and hugged.

"Thanks, Dad." She said again, "It means a lot to me."

"Of course, sweet heart," He smiled, "Just promise me you'll come home more often, okay?"

Dash bit her lip, and held back form tearing up. "Sure Dad…"

"That's sweet," Firefly said, "She was always a bit of a daddy's girl."

"I never would have pegged her as one," Alex said.

"You'd be surprised at some of the things I know about her," Firefly laughed.

"Don't spoil anything," Alex laughed, "…Unless she's secretly crazy. Then tell me now."

"She's not," Firefly reassured.

"That's good," Alex nodded.

"Alex!" Flash called, interrupting his conversation again, "Over here."

Alex quickly made his way over to Flash.

"You've certainly done a lot for my daughter," Flash started, as Alex shrunk, "You caught her last night, you saved her from some Crystal King… And you also dropped from a blimp, to keep her from becoming a Wonderbolt."

"Something she wanted though!" Alex added quickly.

"Honestly," Flash sighed, "At this point, I'm not allowed to disapprove of you."

Alex smiled.

"You've done a lot for my daughter, and she's obviously smitten with you…" He continued, "So, from everything I've heard, you can't be all bad."

Flash extended his hoof.

Alex reached forward, and shook it.

Without releasing his hoof, Flash leaned forward to his ear.

"But if you do anything to hurt my baby," He whispered, "I don't care if you're an alicorn, you'll be an earth pony when I'm finished with you… Understood?"

Alex gulped, and nodded frantically.

"Good," Flash smiled, pulling away.

"What did you say to him?" Dash asked, walking to the two.

"Nothing, dear," Flash smiled.

"Yeah, dear…" Alex said quietly, "Nothing at all…"

Rolling her eyes, Dash walked over to the door, and hugged her mother.

"Come on, Alex," She giggled, "Let's get to the train station."

Alex nodded, and followed behind her, followed himself by Firefly and Flash.

/

Everypony

/

"Well, Comet decided not to come out this time," Ramsley explained, "She knows that she hasn't been completely forgiven yet, and respects that."

Spike nodded, "Well, thanks for coming to see us off yourself."

"I had to thank you for everything you did," Ramsley said to Spike, "Chaser may have asked me out anyway, but I still had a good time with you."

"We should do it more often," Spike suggested.

"Not too often, hopefully," Ramsley smiled.

"Oh!" Spike said quickly, "I have one more piece of advice."

"What's that?" Ramsley asked.

"Always make sure she knows that YOU'RE the boss," Spike said instructed, "That's why I'm doing so well."

"Spike!" Rarity called, "I need you to carry my bags into the train!"

"Yes ma'am!" Spike called, looking back to Ramsley and smiling, "Sorry, I meant make sure that SHE knows that she's the boss."

Ramsley nodded

"Have a pleasant trip," Ramsley smiled, "I've got to get going, so please tell Alex I said goodbye."

Spike nodded, as Ramsley headed off.

"Is everypony ready to go?" Twilight called, as Spike rejoined the group.

Everypony agreed in one way or another.

"Where are Alex and Dash?" Spike asked.

"Right here!" Alex called, walking up to them, followed by Dash and her parents.

"What were you guys talking about?" Twilight asked.

"Nothing much, right Alex?" Flash smiled.

"Nothing at all..." Alex laughed nervously.

"All aboard!" The conductor called, stepping out of the train.

"Well," Flash said, turning to his daughter, "Promise me you'll write a bit more often… And maybe visit?"

Dash smiled brightly, and nodded.

"And make sure to bring him with you," Firefly winked.

"Ugh," Dash groaned, "Lay off him, mom!"

"I don't mind," Alex shrugged.

"You will when I smack you!" Dash threatened.

"Maybe she's a little crazy," Firefly laughed.

Everypony started filing into the train.

"Goodbye you guys," Dash smiled, hugging them once more each.

"Have fun back at home," Firefly said sweetly, kissing Dash on the forehead.

"I will Mom," Dash smiled.

"And Dash," Flash began, "Don't go—"

"Hey Rainbow Dash!" A voice called.

The four looked back to the platform, where they saw the large blue Pegasus running up.

"Tempest." Flash and Dash said together.

"Hey!" He called running up, "You owe me a date!"

"Pardon me?" Dash asked, as he finally reached them, "You didn't win! And my flying was better than yours!"

"It was dang good," Tempest admitted, "But my tornado move was better than ANYTHING you did."

Dash growled. She didn't have the time to do the Sonic Rainboom before she was struck by lightning.

"So come on!" He insisted.

Alex stepped forward.

"She's busy tonight." Alex said.

"Who are you?" Tempest growled, towering over Alex.

"Her boyfriend," Alex said, "So why don't you leave her alone?"

Tempest growled again.

"Off you run, Princess," Alex smirked, feeling a bit of Dax start to seep out.

Before he had a chance to react, Tempest punched Alex in the face, forcing his head to the side.

"How about now?" He asked cockily, "Why don't you get on your train, and leave her here."

Alex looked back to him and laughed quietly.

"What's so funny?" He growled.

Casting a spell, an aura surrounded Alex's hoof.

The following impact Tempest felt on his cheek, was stronger than any he had ever felt. His entire body was thrown into the wall to the left, and impacted painfully.

Everypony looked to Alex in shock. However, only Dash knew what it meant when the magic distortion poured out of his eyes the way it currently was.

"Stay away from her," Dax whispered smugly, to the dazed pony, "You aren't stronger than me."

Tempest slowly stood up, and flew off with his tail between his legs.

The aura faded from his eyes, as Alex calmed down.

Dash was afraid this had just ruined his impression with her parents.

"That was pretty good," Flash said, surprisingly, "I'm glad to see you actually taking care of her, instead of just hearing stories about it."

Alex looked from Flash to Firefly. She simply smiled, and exhaled excitedly.

"Uh… We'd better get on the train." Alex said, avoiding eye contact.

Dash nodded.

"Alright you two!" Flash said, "See you soon."

"Of course," Dash said quickly, as she pushed Alex into the train, "I'll write you next week!"

"I love you sweety!" Firefly waved to them.

And with that, they entered the train, quickly followed by the doors closing, and the train started moving.

Quickly moving to a window, Dash waved happily to her parents as they pulled away. So much had happened.

It had been yet another interesting trip to Manehattan.

/

?

/

"I know it didn't go according to plan!" He shouted into his spell, "But-"

"I told you, you're done!" The boss shouted back, "You have nothing on them! We'll just continue with our original plan."

"Listen to me!" He said, "I think I have an angle. One of them has this… Instability in his magic."

"What do you mean?"

"I just watched him start discharging magic stronger than anything I've ever seen, and he had no control over it." He said, "If we can manipulate him, he'd be a great asset."

"…Fine. But this is your last chance!"

"Understood." He smiled, "I'll begin the planning stage. I'll keep you informed."

"You'd better."

/


	44. Adjusting to a New Life

/

Adjusting to a New Life

/

Scootaloo squinted as she opened her eyes. The morning sun was shining on her eyes through her window.

Where was she today?

Canterlot!

Looking around her room in the castle, she smiled. It was pretty cool having a place to herself. She was always in such a cramped room back at the orphanage, since she shared it with a few other ponies. However, one thing she hadn't expected to happen was the loneliness that came with it. Back at the orphanage, if she ever got scared, or had a nightmare, she was always surrounded by her friends when she woke up, and she would be comforted by that. But now when she awoke… It was just silence. That was something that she was going to need to get used to.

She had only been here a few days, and it was obviously an adjustment for Luna. But Celestia seemed to be used to having a child around. Twilight had been her student, so Scootaloo assumed that's why she knew what she was doing.

Looking over to her calendar, she suddenly perked up. Tonight was the Cutie Mark Crusader sleep over!

"Aww yeah!" Scootaloo cheered as she jumped up, and started shaking her hair until it looked presentable.

Opening up her door, she trotted down the hallway happily, toward the dining room where she was going to partake in royal breakfast. Of course, it was no different from regular breakfast, but she added the 'royal' to it, because of the diverse selection of food they had to eat. Back at the orphanage, all she ever got was cream of wheat. And she HATED cream of wheat.

"Good morning," One of the guard said respectfully, as Scootaloo walked past.

"How's guard duty today?" She asked, "Is it exciting?!"

"Not quite," He laughed, "But who knows, maybe something exciting will happen."

"I hope so!" She said, as she continued on her way, entering the dining room.

As usual, the table was stocked, but nopony had arrived to eat yet.

So, taking advantage of that, she grabbed a plate, and jumped between chairs so she could reach whatever it was that she wanted on her plate. Finally, after satisfying herself, she sat down in the chair, and began eating her pancakes, hash browns, and French toast.

A few minutes of silence passed, before Celestia walked into the room.

"Good morning, Scootaloo," She smiled, "Up nice and early I see."

"With this kind of grub waiting for me, how can I resist?" Scootaloo laughed, her mouth full of food.

Celestia decided to act 'business-as-usual,' in the presence of the filly, instead of being in 'serious' mode. The attack on Manehattan had been bad news, and much needed to be done. But, for now, she could act like everything was just fine.

"Well eat up, you need to get to school," Celestia said, sitting down at her usual spot, and making herself a plate.

"It's Saturday!" Scootaloo laughed, "I'm off today!"

Celestia cocked her head, "Is it Saturday? I lose track of time so easily."

"Yup!" Scootaloo beamed, "But I'm having a sleep over with my friends tonight, so I'll be leaving anyway."

"That sounds exciting," Celestia smiled, "What are you going to do during your sleep over?"

"We're gonna get our Cutie Marks!" Scootaloo said, excited as usual on the subject, "We're gonna stay up all night, and find them!"

"Up all night?" Celestia smiled, "You must take after Luna."

"Celestia," Luna said seriously, walking into the room, "I wish to discuss our plan-"

Luna noticed Scootaloo, ignorantly sitting at the table, chewing on a pancake.

"Good morning, Scoot-Ah-Loo," Luna asked, moving the topic away from battles, "It was the two of you discussing me just now, yes?"

"We were just joking around," Celestia said, "Did anything eventful happen last night?"

"It was, as every night has been since I got back from the moon," Luna sighed, "Uneventful."

"You're more than welcome to work some day shifts," Celestia offered, "I would welcome the piece that comes with the night."

"Actually," Luna smiled, as she sat down and served herself a plate, "Alex lent me his eye-pod, and showed me how to hurl the upset birds at the pigs!"

Celestia cocked her head again.

"It passes the time quite well! I must have lost five hours to it." She smiled, before turning to her young descendant, and realizing something, "Oh! You must hurry! We don't want you to be late for school!"

"I'm off today!" Scootaloo giggled at the déjà vu, "But I do need to get back, because I'm sleeping over with the girls tonight!"

"Oh!" Luna said, "I always lose track of weekdays."

"Everypony around here does," Scootaloo laughed, before polishing off the remainder of her food.

The other two quickly finished their own food, before standing up, and preparing to head out on their own ways.

"Guards!" Luna called out the door, "Proceed!"

And with that, a line of staff from within the castle filed into the room, and each started filling their own plates so they could have some of the still plentiful amounts of food.

Scootaloo sat in her chair, and watched everypony do this. It was something she had done over the past few days she had been here. But, one thing that she thought was a shame, was that the remainder of the food was always thrown out. The princesses would have given it to the townsponies, but it would just create a demand for free breakfast for everypony in Canterlot. Which would greatly increase how much would be made in the first place. So, whatever wasn't eaten would be thrown it. It made her feel a bit bad.

If only there was something they could do it with it. The poor kids at the orphanage would have loved to eat something like this…

Then the idea hit her.

"Luna! Luna!" Scootaloo called running out the dining room door.

"Yes, Scoot-Ah-Loo?" Luna pronounced, "What is it?"

/

Scootaloo smiled as she walked out the front door of the Orphanage.

Luna had just teleported both herself, and the remainder of the 'royal' breakfast to the orphanage for the kids. Something that Luna agreed she would do with the remainder of the food from now on, since it was going to a good cause.

Well… And because cream of wheat was horrible.

After that, Luna had gone back to Canterlot, leaving Scootaloo to her own devices for the day, expecting to see her again in the next couple of days.

Luna was really interesting to Scootaloo. She was a genuinely good mare, that cared about her. But… She was a bit clueless at times. Scootaloo didn't think she was stupid by any means, but a lot of modern conventions were completely mysterious to her. Back in Manehattan, they had passed by a dance club that was pretty busy, and Luna had no idea what she was looking at. Even the music that had been blasting through the doors made her uncomfortable. It was some kind of techno song, not that Scootaloo knew much about it herself. But compared to Luna, she was a walking encyclopedia on present times. As strange as it sounded, Luna would learn just as much from Scootaloo, as Scootaloo would learn from her.

It was like having sister… That had been on the moon for a thousand years.

Trotting up the path, Scootaloo reached The Carousel Boutique, and knocked on the door.

Opening the door, Rarity immediately smiled, "Good morning, Scootaloo,"

"Hey Rarity!" She smiled, "Is Sweetie Belle here today?"

"She sure is," Rarity said, "She's been going on about the sleepover tonight non-stop."

"I'm so excited for it!" Scootaloo smiled.

"It sounds like it," Rarity laughed, "I'll go fetch her for you."

"Thanks," Scootaloo said.

After a few seconds, Sweetie Belle zipped to the door, "Hey Scoots!"

"Hey Sweetie!" She greeted back, "Are you ready to go get Alex and Spike?"

"Sure am!" She squeaked, "I'm going out Rarity!"

"Alright dear!" Rarity answered, "Check in at lunch!"

"Okay!" She called, running out the door, closing it behind her.

"Let's run over there, so we can have as much time to find our Cutie Mark as possible!" Scootaloo said.

"I wish your scooter could fit all five of us," Sweetie said, "That would make things so much faster!"

/

*Knock knock*

"One sec!" Applejack called, carefully lifting her pie up, to place it in her oven.

*Knock knock*

"Of all the—" Applejack groaned, as she lowered the pie, "Gimmie a minute!"

*Knock knock*

"Oh!" Apple Bloom said running into the kitchen, "That's for me!"

During her mad sprint for the front door, Apple Bloom momentarily lost control of herself, and slightly bumped into Applejack, knocking the pie into the air.

The pie spun in what seemed like slow-motion to Applejack, as Apple Bloom opened the door, shouted that she would be back, and then closed the door.

Of course, the pie had hit the floor long since then… But it sure seemed like it took hours for that soon-to-be delicious pie to splat.

Sighing, Applejack sat down. She had been looking forward to pie all morning…

/

"Where's Alex an' Spike?" Apple Bloom asked, seeing just the two of her friends.

"They're still exhausted from their trip to Manehattan," Scootaloo explained.

"But, you were there, an' yer not tired!" Apple Bloom said to Scootaloo.

"I know, right?" Scootaloo groaned.

"If they keep this up, they'll get their Cutie Marks in laziness!" Sweetie sighed.

"Well, we can't slow down on their account," Scootaloo said, "What are we gonna to do first?"

"Ah've got a whole list of ideas!" Apple Bloom said, "But Ah left 'em in my room! Ah'll go grab 'em!"

The two watched Apple Bloom run inside, and then exit a minute later, with an odd look on her face.

"What's up?" Scootaloo asked her.

"Mah' sis' was lookin' upset over sumthin'" Apple Bloom shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Sweetie asked.

"Ah' don't rightly know!" Apple Bloom shrugged, "So, I told her to make a pie, since I know those always cheer her up!"

"Good idea!" Scootaloo said, "Everypony loves pie!"

"But it just seemed to make her sadder," Apple Bloom sighed.

"We could always try to make her one!" Sweetie suggested.

"Remember what happened last time?" Scootaloo asked, "We should try something else today, since we know we're not bakers."

"Check your list!" Sweetie said quickly, remembering why Apple Bloom had gone in to the house in the first place.

"Oh yeah!" Apple Bloom said, taking the scroll from her saddlebag and extending it across the ground.

The day continued, as they frantically tried every single thing on Apple Bloom's list. However, nothing seemed to work. But that didn't matter at all to them. They were having a sleepover tonight, and they thought it was going to be legendary.

And as it turned out, it totally was.

/


	45. A Prelude to a Ritual

/

A Prelude to a Ritual

/

"Sweetie Belle! What have you done?!" Rarity shouted, "Oh, now I'll have to make more!"

Sweetie Belle frowned. All she had done was make her and her friends some capes, so they could show off their membership to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"Oh, and now I'll have to make more!" Rarity complained, "Oh, I hope I can MAKE more… I'm gonna have to work all night! Which means… Sorry, girls… I'm afraid the Crusaders sleepover is cancelled."

"What!?" Sweetie shouted.

"I just won't have any time to watch you, if I want to get these robes delivered on time." Rarity apologized.

"B-But—"

"No 'buts' this time," Rarity sighed, "I'm sorry Sweetie Belle; this is just how it has to be."

"Awww…" The girls said collectively, all put out by the sudden loss of their plans.

Rarity sighed, but then looked to Fluttershy getting an idea... Maybe one of her friends could look after them.

Fluttershy knew the look she was receiving, but had made plans with Rainbow Dash and Twilight tonight.

"I'm so sorry…" Fluttershy said, having been listening to the entire thing, "I'd offer to take them, but I have some plans with Twilight and Rainbow Dash tonight."

Rarity sighed, and tried thinking of anypony else that might be able to look after the girls.

No Twilight.

No Rainbow Dash.

Applejack already discussed this night with Rarity, and told her that she couldn't.

Alex or Spike? Ehhh…

And Pinkie… No… No Pinkie.

There was no pony…

"I'm sorry girls," Rarity said again, "But I don't think this is going to work out."

The three sighed dejectedly.

"Why don't you all spend a couple more hours up in Sweetie's room?" Rarity offered, "Then you can all head home when the sun starts setting."

The sadness felt by the three girls was stronger than anything they had ever felt. The Cutie Mark Crusader sleepover was cancelled. It was like their favorite TV show was being taken off the air… Except there was no TV in Equestria. Bad example.

The next few hours passed, as the three did very little. They had sulked, eaten a snack, sulked again, and then tried to be Cutie Mark cheer-er uppers. That also failed.

"I can' believe we hav' to go home…" Apple Bloom sighed.

"I know…" Scootaloo groaned, "I've been looking forward to this for weeks."

"I'm sorry I made us these capes…" Sweetie squeaked, "I should have left them alone."

"Don't worry about it," Scootaloo smiled, "They're really cool.!"

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom agreed, "At least we'll look good when we're out tomorrow!"

Unfortunately, as much as they tried to find the silver lining, it still stung that they weren't going to be doing this.

"Well," Scootaloo sighed, "I guess I'd better head back to the orphanage… They'll be upset if I'm back past a certain time."

"Why don't you ask if we could stay over there?" Sweetie asked suddenly.

"It's lights out at nine," Scootaloo said, "We'd have no time to do anything there."

"Aww…" Apple Bloom said.

"Wait a minute…" Scootaloo said, "I just got an idea!"

The two other girls looked at her, eyes wide.

"Oh my goodness!" They heard Rarity call from the main floor below them.

"Right on time!" Scootaloo grinned.

/

"P-Princess Luna!" Rarity stammered, "Please accept my deepest apologies for shouting in front of you!"

"Please don't worry yourself on such matters," Luna smiled, "I'm simply here to bring Scoot-Ah-Loo her overnight bag."

"Oh," Rarity said quickly, "I'm terribly sorry, but the sleepover had to be cancelled."

Luna cocked her head, "Why? What has happened?"

"I'm afraid that I overlooked something, and I need to spend all night tonight fixing the problem," Rarity explained, "I simply won't have the time to watch them."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Luna said. "Scoot-Ah-Loo sounded so excited this morning."

"Princess Luna!" Scootaloo called, running into the main section of the store.

"I've heard the grim news," Luna said to her, "You have my deepest sympathies."

"Uh… what's she talkin' about?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I heard that you weren't having your overnight ritual," Luna explained, "I truly wish there was something I could do."

"That's why I came to talk to you!" Scootaloo said, "Could we have the sleepover at Canterlot Castle?"

Rarity immediately flew into action.

"Now Scootaloo," She began, "I don't think the Princess would have the kind of time that's—"

"Of course!" Luna beamed, surprising everypony, "I have long awaited to see one of these overnight rituals myself!"

Rarity was shocked.

"Is it alright if I take your sister tonight?" Luna asked Rarity.

"O-of course!" Rarity laughed nervously, "Have her for as long as you like!"

"Wonderful!" Luna smiled, "Girls! Let us proceed to Sweet Apple Acres, to secure permission from Applejack!"

And, as quickly as she appeared, Luna walked out with the three fillies.

"Bye Rarity!" Sweetie Belle called.

Rarity was slack-jawed, and completely silent.

"See you tomorrow!" Sweetie said, as she headed off into the night.

/

"Uh, I suppose y'all could spend the night in Canterlot," Applejack said, "Are you sure it's no trouble? You've got enough time tuh watch 'em?"

"Of course," Luna said happily, "I do very little during the night, so I can keep an eye on them."

"Well, go ahead then!" Applejack smiled, "Have a good time tonight girls!"

"We will!" Apple Bloom beamed.

"Thanks!" The other two called to her as Applejack closed the door.

"Well," Luna said to them, "I suppose that means the overnight ritual is back on!"

The truth was, Luna had been looking for every moment she could to spend time with Scootaloo, and this was just perfect. She would let them do whatever they wanted, and by that logic, be the coolest princess ever. It was the perfect plan… Except that it really wasn't.

"Yay!" They shouted together, "Cutie Mark Crusader Sleep Over at Canterlot Castle!"

Luna beamed, having no idea what she had just gotten herself into.


End file.
